How to Become a Sterile Processing Technician in Hawaii

Do you have a love for helping others?

Do you wish you could work in the healthcare industry without having to attend medical school?

Sterile Processing Technicians work everywhere from clinics to hospitals to medical centers — without the eight years of school plus residency.

You could find yourself helping surgeons with their medical procedures by decontaminating and distributing medical tools.

Read on to find out Hawai’i residents should go about becoming an SPT.

How to Become an SPT

The good news: In Hawai’i, you don’t need any sort of certification or higher education to become a Sterile Processing Technician.

The bad news: that doesn’t mean your high school diploma or GED will be enough to get you hired since the job market is so competitive.

The good news (again): The HSPA has been certifying people since 1971, so they have you covered as far as getting certified is concerned.

The Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA)

You can obtain your certification through one of the HSPA’s four levels of certifications:

• Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST) – the base-level certification for SPTs
• Certified Endoscope Reprocessor (CER) – an endoscope-specific certification
• Certified Instrument Specialist (CIS) – an advanced instrument certification
• Certified Healthcare Leader (CHL) – a certification for SPT management

Once you’ve submitted a complete application (including all the required documentation and a criminal background check), you’ll be able to register to take the test of your choosing.

The HSPA provides the resources you’ll need to study up, from online courses to content outlines, reference materials to the HSPA’s Certification Handbook.

Certification lasts a full year from the date of your test, and can be renewed with a $50 payment and proof of continuing education courses.

Sterile Processing Schools in Hawai’i

Hawaii’s available Sterile Processing courses are pretty few and far between, but they’re still present.

University of Hawai’i Hawai’i Community College

For $3,290, you can attend a self-paced online Sterile Processing Course that provides all the materials you’ll need for the classes.

It even gives you a voucher so you don’t have to pay the application fee for the HSPA’s test.

The clinical portion of the course is in-person, however, and you will need a functional PC and reliable internet to complete the classwork.

Hawai’i Community College’s course is 190 credit hours in total, and enrollment is open, so you can apply at any time.

University of Hawai’i Kapi’olani Community College

Kapi’olani Community College offers a five-phase Surgical Technology course that includes both classroom instruction and real operating room experience. 

Their program is officially certified by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and prepares students for the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting’s (NBSTSA) national certification exam.

Though the course is a bit different from a standard Sterile Processing course, it’ll still get you exactly where you need to go in the long run, and then some.

Salary

On average, a Sterile Processing Technician in Hawai’i makes $47,328 a year. 

However, with the right experience and training, you could potentially make over $53,000.

Annual Salary Range: Annual Salary by Location:

Location	Avg. Annual Salary
Honolulu	$47,044
Hilo	$46,728
Kailua	$47,044
Kaneohe	$47,044
Waipahu	$47,022
Pearl City	$47,044
Mililani Town	$46,959
Kahului	$46,728
Kihei	$46,728
Ewa Beach	$47,044

Regional Salary in Hawaii

* Salary information based on the May 2023 Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Survey for Medical Equipment Preparers, OCC Code 31-9093, BLS.
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be certified to work as a Sterile Processing Technician in Hawai'i?

No, Hawai’i doesn’t require Sterile Processing Techs to be certified, but certification improves your chances of being hired.

How many Sterile Processing courses are available in Hawai'i?

Hawai’i only has one available Sterile Processing course which can be taken fully online apart from the clinical experience portion.

There is also one available Surgical Technology program.

How much can I make as a Sterile Processing Technician in Hawai'i?

The average base yearly salary for a Sterile Processing Tech in Hawai’i is $47,328 a year.

Sterile Processing Technician Info by State