Medical equipment preparers
Prepare, sterilize, install, or clean laboratory or healthcare equipment. May perform routine laboratory tasks and operate or inspect equipment.
Medical equipment preparers prepare, sterilize, install, or clean laboratory or healthcare equipment. May perform routine laboratory tasks and operate or inspect equipment. The role reports a median annual salary of $46,490 in the US and is projected to grow 10% over the next decade (faster than average). Entry typically requires a High school diploma or equivalent, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.47 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Critical Thinking, Quality Control Analysis, Monitoring, Active Listening, Operations Monitoring.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £29,084 a year for Nursing auxiliaries and assistants (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £25,189 to £33,294 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 6131). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Service and sales workers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Medical equipment preparers, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 5. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Biology
- Production and Processing
- Public Safety and Security
- Administrative
- Chemistry
- Mechanical
What you'd actually 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.
- 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.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Medical equipment preparers do?
Prepare, sterilize, install, or clean laboratory or healthcare equipment. May perform routine laboratory tasks and operate or inspect equipment.
How much does Medical equipment preparers earn?
The median annual salary for Medical equipment preparers in the US is $46,490.
What is the job outlook for Medical equipment preparers?
The role is projected to grow 10% over the next decade (faster than average). Current US employment is approximately 76,500 workers.
How do I become medical equipment preparers?
The typical entry education is a High school diploma or equivalent. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Medical equipment preparers need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Critical Thinking, Quality Control Analysis, Monitoring, Active Listening, Operations Monitoring, Reading Comprehension. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Medical equipment preparers?
Our AI-durability model gives Medical equipment preparers a score of 0.47 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Medical equipment preparers has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.