Medical Equipment Preparers Salary
Healthcare Support Occupations · 77K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$47,700
Median hourly
$23
Average annual
$50,510
Typical range
$36,410–$69,950
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Medical Equipment Preparers is $47,700 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $23 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Prepare, sterilize, install, or clean laboratory or healthcare equipment. May perform routine laboratory tasks and operate or inspect equipment..
Most earn between $36,410 and $69,950 a year. There are roughly 77K people employed as medical equipment preparers in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Medical Equipment Preparers.
- Hourly
- $22.93
- Daily
- $183
- Weekly
- $917
- Bi-weekly
- $1,835
- Monthly
- $3,975
- Annual
- $47,700
$47,700 a year is around the 50th percentile for Medical Equipment Preparerss. The median is $47,700.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1California$61,370
- 2Washington$58,830
- 3Massachusetts$58,580
- 4New York$57,320
- 5Delaware$53,300
- 6Hawaii$51,630
- 7Rhode Island$51,460
- 8New Jersey$50,280
- 9Minnesota$50,070
- 10Alaska$49,920
- 11Vermont$48,990
- 12New Hampshire$48,900
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Vallejo, CA$82,610
- 2San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$82,140
- 3Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$81,370
- 4San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$81,090
- 5Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$79,490
- 6San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA$75,800
- 7San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$67,830
- 8Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$61,870
- 9Redding, CA$61,840
- 10Barnstable Town, MA$61,160
- 11Stockton-Lodi, CA$61,060
- 12Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$60,980
Related job titles
Employers advertise Medical Equipment Preparers roles under these titles.
- Bandage Maker
- Central Processing Technician (CPT)
- Central Service Technician (CST)
- Central Sterile Supply Technician (CSS Technician)
- Central Sterile Technician (Central Sterile Tech)
- Central Sterilization Technician
- Central Supply Processing Department Technician (CSPDT)
- Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST)
- Certified Registered Central Services Technician (CRCST)
- Equipment Coordinator
- Health Equipment Servicer
- Hot Packer
- Material Reprocessing Associate (MRA)
- Medical Equipment Preparer
- Medical Supply Technician
- Oxygen Equipment Preparer
Related occupations
- Surgical Technologists$64,650
- Healthcare Support Workers, All Other$48,430
- Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians$74,310
- Surgical Assistants$66,800
- Calibration Technologists and Technicians$67,820
- Phlebotomists$45,230
- Medical Equipment Repairers$61,660
- Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other$50,290
What a Medical Equipment Preparers does
- Operate and maintain steam autoclaves, keeping records of loads completed, items in loads, and maintenance procedures performed.
- Clean instruments to prepare them for sterilization.
- Organize and assemble routine or specialty surgical instrument trays or other sterilized supplies, filling special requests as needed.
- Examine equipment to detect leaks, worn or loose parts, or other indications of disrepair.
- Maintain records of inventory or equipment usage and order medical instruments or supplies when inventory is low.
- Stock crash carts or other medical supplies.
- Start equipment and observe gauges and equipment operation to detect malfunctions and to ensure equipment is operating to prescribed standards.
- Attend hospital in-service programs related to areas of work specialization.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Medical Equipment Preparers make?
- The median annual wage for Medical Equipment Preparers is $47,700 ($23 per hour). Pay ranges from about $36,410 at the 10th percentile to $69,950 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Medical Equipment Preparers?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $50,510, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Medical Equipment Preparerss the most?
- California has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $61,370.
- Is Medical Equipment Preparers a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 77K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Medical Equipment Preparers do?
- Operate and maintain steam autoclaves, keeping records of loads completed, items in loads, and maintenance procedures performed.; Clean instruments to prepare them for sterilization.; Organize and assemble routine or specialty surgical instrument trays or other sterilized supplies, filling special requests as needed..