Sterile Processing Technician Apprenticeship

Cost: $4,000
Length: 7 weeks
Working 6 months later: Not reported

Program names, program descriptions and occupation titles appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Everything else on this page is translated.

What happened to people who took this

No outcomes reported for this program

About a third of California programs report nothing. That is a fact about the program's reporting, not evidence that it works or does not.

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.

No regional figures for this program's city

Victorville is not one of the metropolitan or rural areas California names when it publishes wages and openings. A neighbouring area's figures would look exactly like a correct answer, so none are shown and the statewide figures stand alone. About half of California's programs are in this position.

Surgical Technologists

Job ads may call this: Surgical Technician · Surgical Scrub Technician · Certified Surgical Technician · Operating Room Technician (OR Tech)

Some of what people in this job do. The Department rates how important each one is, and they appear in that order.

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 2 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.

Typical pay in California: $83,586per year
Projected openings: 8,420
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.

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.

What people in this job actually studied

Most common: Two-year degree — 41% of the people doing this work.

California says this job usually needs: Postsecondary non-degree award. That is not one of the steps below, so there is no way to count how many people meet it.

No high school diploma: 1%
High school diploma: 11%
Started college, no degree: 34%
Two-year degree: 41%
Four-year degree: 12%
Master's degree: 2%
Doctorate or professional degree: 0.5%

This counts people already doing this job, across the whole United States. Every other figure on this page is California's, and the federal government publishes no state version of this one. It is what people happen to have, not a rule about who gets hired. A small row does not mean you would be turned away, and a large one is not a promise of a job. It is also measured on a different scale from “Usually needs” above, so the two cannot be subtracted from one another.

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 2 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.

Typical pay in California: $62,924per year
Projected openings: 14,020
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

What people in this job actually studied

Most common: Started college, no degree — 27% of the people doing this work.

California says this job usually needs: High school diploma or equivalent. 5% of the people doing it went less far than that.

No high school diploma: 5%
High school diploma: 25%
Started college, no degree: 27%
Two-year degree: 15%
Four-year degree: 20%
Master's degree: 6%
Doctorate or professional degree: 2%

Program details

This is a hybrid or blended program providing both in-person and online instruction.

A program that prepares individuals to clean sterilize and assemble surgical instruments equipment and supplies for use in operating rooms and other medical and surgical facilities. Includes instruction in sterilization infection control decontamination and surgical instrumentation processing distribution and record-keeping.

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 (2026-08-04). 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.

The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California

High Desert America`s Job Center of CaliforniaAffiliate site
Phone: 760-552-6550 or 6552
17310 Bear Valley RoadSuite 109Victorville, CA 92395about 2 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm(Computer Lab 8:00am-4:30pm)
Has a veterans' representative

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 →