Sterile Processing/Central Service Technician
Fairfield Suisun Adult School · Fairfield, CA
- Cost
- $3,630
- Length
- 12 weeks
- Working 6 months later
- 57%
Program names and program descriptions appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Occupation titles are translated where O*NET publishes a Spanish name. Everything else on this page is translated.
What happened to people who took this
- People enrolled
- 14
Small group — treat with caution
- Finished the program
- 79%Based on 14 peopleTypical California program: 85% of 1,951 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
- Working 6 months later
- 57%Typical California program: 69% of 1,690 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
- Earnings in one quarter after
- $13,109A single quarter of earnings, roughly three months, not a yearly salary. Do not compare it directly with the yearly pay shown for the occupation.Typical California program: $10,900 of 1,339 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
The jobs this trains for
This describes the jobs people do, not the classes this program teaches. It comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, which asks people already doing the work. The Department publishes it in English only, so the job names and the sentences below stay in English on this page.
Trains for more than one job. The outlook shown is the weakest of them.
Where California publishes a separate figure for Vallejo MSA (Solano County), it appears beneath the statewide one. Statewide stays the headline: people who train here do not necessarily work here.
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary
Job ads may call this: Lecturer · Professor · Instructor · Clinical Professor
Some of what people in this job do. The Department rates how important each one is, and they appear in that order.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
- Supervise laboratory sessions.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as public health, stress management, and work site health promotion.
- Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Typical pay in California
- $169,732per year
- Projected openings
- 20,800
- Projected change
- +19.2%
- Usually needs
- Doctoral or professional degree
California publishes no separate figure for this job in Vallejo MSA. The statewide figures above are the only ones there are.
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- Under 5 years in a related job
- Training after you are hired
- None
Employers usually expect some time in a related job as well as the training. Ask the provider what their graduates did before they were hired.
These are the federal government's answers for the occupation, not rules this provider sets. California publishes the same two answers for every one of these jobs.
Surgical Technologists
Pay, hiring, and what people studied
Job ads may call this: Surgical Technician · Surgical Scrub Technician · Certified Surgical Technician · Operating Room Technician (OR Tech)
- Maintain a proper sterile field during surgical procedures.
- Count sponges, needles, and instruments before and after operation.
- Scrub arms and hands and assist the surgical team to scrub and put on gloves, masks, and surgical clothing.
- Prepare patients for surgery, including positioning patients on the operating table and covering them with sterile surgical drapes to prevent exposure.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Provide technical assistance to surgeons, surgical nurses, or anesthesiologists.
- Hand instruments and supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors and cut sutures, and perform other tasks as directed by surgeon during operation.
- Prepare, care for, and dispose of tissue specimens taken for laboratory analysis.
- Wash and sterilize equipment, using germicides and sterilizers.
What this pays in Vallejo MSA (Solano County)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo MSA (Solano County) | $66,388 | $108,207 | $129,743 |
| Across California | $50,516 | $83,586 | $118,980 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Vallejo MSA (Solano County) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $83,586per yearVallejo MSA: $104,228
- Projected openings
- 8,420Vallejo MSA: 90
- Projected change
- +11.6%
- Usually needs
- Postsecondary non-degree award
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- None
No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.
Medical Equipment Preparers
Pay, hiring, and what people studied
Job ads may call this: Sterile Technician · Instrument Technician · Sterilization Technician · Sterile Preparation Technician
- 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.
- Record sterilizer test results.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Examine equipment to detect leaks, worn or loose parts, or other indications of disrepair.
- Report defective equipment to appropriate supervisors or staff.
- Disinfect and sterilize equipment, such as respirators, hospital beds, or oxygen or dialysis equipment, using sterilizers, aerators, or washers.
- Maintain records of inventory or equipment usage and order medical instruments or supplies when inventory is low.
What this pays in Vallejo MSA (Solano County)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo MSA (Solano County) | $44,581 | $84,703 | $87,543 |
| Across California | $44,786 | $62,924 | $87,399 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Vallejo MSA (Solano County) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $62,924per yearVallejo MSA: $84,403
- Projected openings
- 14,020Vallejo MSA: 300
- Projected change
- +16.3%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- 1 to 12 months
Program details
This program provides in-person instruction only.
Fairfield Suisun Adult School provides training in this field to introduce and prepare students in the theories and principles of Sterile Processing Technology and Infection Control. This is in class training. There is a 200 hour externship following successful completion of the didactic portion of the course. Upon completion of this course, students will be presented with a Certificate of Competency that satisfies the requirements for admission to challenge the National Institute for the Certification of Healthcare Sterile Processing and Distribution Personnel certification examination.
Someone else may be able to pay for this
This program was on California's Eligible Training Provider List when the state last reported it to the U.S. Department of Labor (2026-09-18). Programs on that list can be paid for through an Individual Training Account. Listings are renewed periodically and can lapse, so a program listed when the state last reported may not be listed today. Ask before you rely on it.
Ask before you enroll, not after
The order the rules set out starts at the center rather than at the school. Before a center can find somebody eligible for training services it has to gather enough to decide, at a minimum through an interview, evaluation or assessment and career planning. Referring a person to the provider they have chosen and setting up the account both come after that, and both are the center's to do — the account is a payment agreement with the training provider, and it is the provider that is paid through it. So the call belongs before enrolling and before paying. Anyone who has already done either should still ask, and ask what it means for them.
The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California
America`s Job Center of California - FairfieldAffiliate site
Phone: 707-863-3500
500 Chadbourne RoadSuite AFairfield, CA 94534about 5.4 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm
CareerPoint NapaComprehensive center
Phone: 707-253-4134
2751 Napa Valley Corporate DriveBldg A. Suite 106Napa, CA 94559about 15.1 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30am-4:30pm
America`s Job Center of California - VallejoComprehensive center
Phone: 707-648-4024
1440 Marin StreetVallejo, CA 94590about 18.2 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8am- 5:00 pm
Has a veterans' representative
At a comprehensive center all the required partner programs can be reached; an affiliate site offers some of them. Distances are straight-line, so the drive is longer. Call before you travel: opening hours here are as the federal directory published them, and the state notes its own staff are not present at every location.
Find a center anywhere in California, and check what is on the list today:
CareerOneStop — American Job Center Finder (U.S. DOL) · California EDD — Office Locator · California EDD — Eligible Training Provider List
How this gets paid for, and what to ask →
Whether a person can have a program paid for is decided by their local workforce development board and the America's Job Center staff who interview them — not by this site, and not by the training provider. California has 45 local workforce development areas and each sets its own policies, so the answer can differ between two people in neighboring counties. Nothing here is a promise of funding or a determination of eligibility.
The rules cited here, and the state and federal sites linked to, are published in English.
How this site gets its figures, and what they do not tell you →