Best Sterile Processing Tech Programs in Virginia (2026)

Quick answer: Sterile processing technicians in Virginia earn a median of $46,580 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited sterile processing technician schools in Virginia with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.

Programs sits within the Virginia sterile processing technician workforce, served by accredited training providers. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $46,580 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Virginia Quick Facts

MetricValueSource
State median annual wage$46,580BLS OEWS, May 2025
Virginia pay range (10th to 90th percentile)$37,320 to $61,280BLS OEWS, May 2025
Top-paying Virginia metro for this fieldRichmond, VA, $46,640BLS OEWS, May 2025
National job outlook (2024 to 2034)+10.0% growth, about 10,900 openings per yearBLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
State employment1,840 workersBLS OEWS, May 2025
Virginia location quotient0.90BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the Sterile processing technician Career

What You’ll Find Below

The school listings below are sorted by proximity to Programs. Each entry includes the school name, address, and the credentials offered. Use the Virginia figures above as a reference point when comparing program length, schedule, and tuition.

How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention. Advertising plays no part.

This page lists 12 schools within 180 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 12 of them carry a score.

Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%

Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.

#1

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA 95.5 miles away BOC Score 80.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
  • 210 Burruss Hall, 800 Drillfield Dr. Blacksburg, VA 24061-0131
  • (540) 231-6994
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 86.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 24
  • Annual completions: 895
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $85,647 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

George Washington University

Washington, DC 144.0 miles away BOC Score 76.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 41
  • Annual completions: 1418
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $95,967 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Frederick Community College

Frederick, MD 165.4 miles away BOC Score 71.1
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 36.3% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 60
  • Annual completions: 337
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $54,058 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Martinsburg College

Martinsburg, WV 155.6 miles away BOC Score 63.8
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 63.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 18
  • Annual completions: 1110
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $32,883 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Montgomery College

Rockville, MD 150.9 miles away BOC Score 59.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 29.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 57
  • Annual completions: 854
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $55,199 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD 179.8 miles away BOC Score 57.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 43.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 20
  • Annual completions: 218
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $67,949 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

J Sargeant Reynolds Community College

Richmond, VA 71.4 miles away BOC Score 52.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 31.1% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 36
  • Annual completions: 793
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $54,140 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Trinity Washington University

Washington, DC 146.4 miles away BOC Score 51.7
Tuition $26,610 - $33,903
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 99.5%
  • Graduation rate: 46.6%
  • Programs offered: 9
  • Annual completions: 58
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $64,019 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#9

Davidson-Davie Community College

Thomasville, NC 127.7 miles away BOC Score 51.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 44.0% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 46
  • Annual completions: 1662
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $44,533 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#10

American Public University System

Charles Town, WV 146.1 miles away BOC Score 50.2
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 55.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 35
  • Annual completions: 5436
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $70,107 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#11

Fayetteville Technical Community College

Fayetteville, NC 153.2 miles away BOC Score 45.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 22.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 66
  • Annual completions: 4671
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $48,138 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#12

Chester Career College

CHESTER, VA 69.6 miles away BOC Score 33.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 58.0% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 9
  • Annual completions: 162
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $41,883 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Sterile Processing Technician Pay and Job Outlook

Annual Wage by Percentile, United States - Medical Equipment Preparers
Medical Equipment Preparers annual wage percentiles, BLS OEWS May 2025P10 $36410, P25 $39800, P50 $47700, P75 $58570, P90 $69950.10th$36,41025th$39,80050th (median)$47,70075th$58,57090th$69,950
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Medical Equipment Preparers annual wage percentiles
PercentileAnnual wage
10th$36,410
25th$39,800
50th (median)$47,700
75th$58,570
90th$69,950
Projected employment growth, United States, Medical Equipment Preparers, 2024-2034
Medical Equipment Preparers employment 2024 vs 2034 projection, BLS Employment Projections2024 employment 76500; 2034 projected employment 84200; percent change +10.0%.202476,500 jobs2034 (proj.)84,200 jobsChange: +10.0%
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
Medical Equipment Preparers employment projection 2024 to 2034
YearEmployment
202476,500
2034 projected84,200
Percent change+10.0%

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does sterile processing technician training take in Virginia?

Sterile processing technician certificate programs in Virginia typically take 6 to 12 months of full-time study, while associate degree programs generally run about 2 years. Actual completion time depends on schedule (full-time vs. part-time) and any prerequisite coursework.

How much do sterile processing technicians earn in Virginia?

According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), sterile processing technicians in Virginia earned a median annual wage of approximately $46,580. Pay varies with experience, certification, and employer; the 10th to 90th percentile range was approximately $37,320 to $61,280 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

How many sterile processing technician schools are in Virginia?

The schools listed above are within about 800 miles of Programs. Compare them by tuition, program length, and the credential each one awards.


About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.

Data sources

Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.

DataProviderVintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMay 2025
Employment ProjectionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data SystemNational Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirementsCareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programsCareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2025-10-25)