Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 62,600 people employed as medical equipment preparers in the United States. The median annual salary is $38,220. Entry level employees earn approximately $29,490 per year and senior employees earn approximately $60,300 per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime pay, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• Install and set up medical equipment, using hand tools.
• Assist hospital staff with patient care duties, such as providing transportation or setting up traction.
• Clean instruments to prepare them for sterilization.
• Record sterilizer test results.
• 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.
• Report defective equipment to appropriate supervisors or staff.
• 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.
• Check sterile supplies to ensure that they are not outdated.
• Attend hospital in-service programs related to areas of work specialization.
• Disinfect and sterilize equipment, such as respirators, hospital beds, or oxygen or dialysis equipment, using sterilizers, aerators, or washers.
• Purge wastes from equipment by connecting equipment to water sources and flushing water through systems.
• Deliver equipment to specified hospital locations or to patients' residences.
• Operate and maintain steam autoclaves, keeping records of loads completed, items in loads, and maintenance procedures performed.

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