# Medical Equipment Preparers

US SOC code 31-9093. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/31-9093

Also called: Sterile processing technician, Central service technician, Central processing technician, SPD tech, Sterile processing and distribution technician.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **77,420** US medical equipment preparers, with median pay of **$47,700** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the May 2025 count is the highest. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/about/history/1950s) of **12,000** from 1955, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for medical equipment preparers: Instrument tracking systems, 2010 to 2023.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 10.8% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=31-9093&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **3.7%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Medical Equipment Preparers employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1928
- Latest US employment: 77,420 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [4]
- Latest US median pay: $47,700 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [6]
- Outlook: +10.8% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [19]

### All 26 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1955 | 12,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Cleveland Clinic History 1950s [1] |
| 1975 | 35,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., IAHCSMM/HSPA [2] |
| 2000 | 32,760 | $22,000 (estimate) | BLS OEWS 2000 (employment) [3]; Est., O\*NET 31-9093.00 (pay) [5] |
| 2003 | 37,140 | $23,350 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [4] |
| 2004 | 40,380 | $24,450 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [4] |
| 2005 | 41,790 | $24,880 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [4] |
| 2006 | 42,740 | $25,950 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [4] |
| 2007 | 43,790 | $27,040 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [4] |
| 2008 | 44,340 | $28,410 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [4] |
| 2009 | 47,070 | $28,970 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [4] |
| 2010 | 47,310 | $29,490 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [4] |
| 2011 | 49,560 | $30,050 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [4] |
| 2012 | 50,230 | $30,820 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [4] |
| 2013 | 51,300 | $31,720 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [4] |
| 2014 | 50,550 | $32,260 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [4] |
| 2015 | 50,330 | $33,330 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [4] |
| 2016 | 52,500 | $34,400 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [4] |
| 2017 | 53,920 | $35,370 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [4] |
| 2018 | 55,610 | $36,240 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [4] |
| 2019 | 56,900 | $37,440 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [4] |
| 2020 | 56,870 | $38,800 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [4] |
| 2021 | 61,170 | $38,220 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [4] |
| 2022 | 63,890 | $41,480 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [4] |
| 2023 | 66,790 | $45,280 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [4] |
| 2024 | 72,760 | $46,490 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [4] |
| 2025 | 77,420 | $47,700 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [4] |

## Sources (79)

### Employment series

1. [Cleveland Clinic History 1950s -- technical aides and OR support staff in sterilizing room operations](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/about/history/1950s), Cleveland Clinic
2. [IAHCSMM/HSPA -- History: founded 1958 by Mary Helen Anderson; formal certification launched 1971](https://myhspa.org/about/who-we-are/), Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA)
3. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
4. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

5. [O\*NET 31-9093.00 -- BLS-sourced occupational data, 2000 SOC reference period](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/31-9093.00), O\*NET / BLS
6. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Tool eras

7. [Flushing Hospital Medical Center -- History of Instrument Sterilization (autoclave development and hospital adoption)](https://flushinghospital.org/newsletter/history-of-instrument-sterilization/), Flushing Hospital Medical Center
8. [Oliver HCP -- A History of Sterile Processing in Healthcare (autoclave era and central supply formation)](https://www.oliverhcp.com/news-and-resources/packtalk/a-history-of-sterile-processing-in-healthcare), Oliver Healthcare Packaging
9. [Central Sterile Services Department -- Wikipedia (ETO sterilization: 1950s US military origin and hospital adoption)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_sterile_services_department), Wikipedia
10. [OSHA -- Hospitals: Central Sterile Supply -- Hazardous Chemicals (ETO and occupational health context)](https://www.osha.gov/etools/hospitals/central-supply/hazardous-chemicals), US Occupational Safety and Health Administration
11. [STERIS Healthcare -- What is Sterile Processing? (hydrogen peroxide plasma technology and STERRAD context)](https://www.steris.com/healthcare/knowledge-center/sterile-processing/what-is-sterile-processing), STERIS Corporation
12. [Infection Control Today -- Crisis, Innovation, and Professionalism: 30 Years of Progress in Medical Device Reprocessing](https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/crisis-innovation-professionalism-reflecting-30-years-progress-medical-device-reprocessing), Infection Control Today
13. [STERIS -- Guide to Reprocessing Robotic Surgery Instruments (da Vinci 2000 FDA clearance, complexity challenge)](https://www.steris.com/healthcare/knowledge-center/sterile-processing/guide-to-reprocessing-robotic-surgery-instruments), STERIS Corporation
14. [CENSIS -- Robotic Reprocessing Arms Protects the Patient and Hospital](https://censis.com/blog/robotic-reprocessing-protects-patien), Censis Technologies
15. [Censis -- CensiTrac InstrumenTrac surgical instrument tracking, deployed in 1,300+ hospitals](https://censis.com/products/censitrac/), Censis Technologies
16. [STERIS SPM -- surgical asset tracking solution with sterilization recordkeeping and compliance reporting](https://www.steris.com/healthcare/products/spm/spm-surgical-asset-tracking-solution), STERIS Corporation
17. [Censis -- CensisAI2: productivity, quality, and instrument recovery dashboards; audits cut from full day to 30 minutes](https://censis.com/products/ai2/), Censis Technologies
18. [Medical Technology Oct 2025 -- Inside the new sterile frontier: AI and robots take over hospital hygiene](https://medical-technology.nridigital.com/medical_technology_oct25/inside_the_new_sterile_frontier_ai_and_robots_take_over_hospital_hygiene), Medical Technology (NRI Digital)

### Forecasts and exposure studies

19. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 31-9093 Medical equipment preparers (2025: 79.9 thousand; 2035: 88.6 thousand; +10.8%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=31-9093&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
20. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 31-9093.00, human-rated β 0.037)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

21. [Central Sterile Supply Department overview -- CSSD history: 1928 ACS recommendation to centralize](https://pharmapush.com/brief-layout-and-various-services-of-the-central-sterile-supplies-department-cssd/), PharmaPush
22. [HSPA -- Who We Are: IAHCSMM founded 1958 by Mary Helen Anderson](https://myhspa.org/about/who-we-are/), Healthcare Sterile Processing Association
23. [CBSPD -- Home: Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution, established 1991](https://www.cbspd.net/), CBSPD
24. [Infection Control Today -- Crisis, Innovation, and Professionalism: 30 Years of Progress in Medical Device Reprocessing (New Jersey 2004 mandate)](https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/crisis-innovation-professionalism-reflecting-30-years-progress-medical-device-reprocessing), Infection Control Today
25. [HPN Online -- IAHCSMM announces name change to Healthcare Sterile Processing Association](https://www.hpnonline.com/sterile-processing/article/21230510/iahcsmm-announces-name-change-to-healthcare-sterile-processing-association), Healthcare Purchasing News

### Predecessors & successors

26. [Oliver HCP -- A History of Sterile Processing in Healthcare (pre-centralization ward-based sterilization era)](https://www.oliverhcp.com/news-and-resources/packtalk/a-history-of-sterile-processing-in-healthcare), Oliver Healthcare Packaging
27. [McCollege -- Sterile Processing Through Time: The History of Sterilization of Medical Instruments](https://mccollege.edu/sterile-processing-program/about-the-sterile-processing-career/the-history-of-sterilization-of-medical-instruments/), McCollege

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Medical Equipment Preparers (31-9093.00): tasks, skills, knowledge, technology](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/31-9093.00), accessed 2026-06-05
- [BLS OEWS 2024 — Medical Equipment Preparers: median wage $46,490, ~76,500 employed](https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes319093.htm), accessed 2026-06-05
- [BLS Employment Projections 2024-34 — Medical Equipment Preparers: +10% growth, ~7,600 openings/year](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ecopro.pdf), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Censis — CensisAI2 AI-powered sterile processing analytics platform, launched ~2023](https://censis.com/products/ai2/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Medical Technology Oct 2025 — Inside the new sterile frontier: AI and robots take over hospital hygiene](https://medical-technology.nridigital.com/medical_technology_oct25/inside_the_new_sterile_frontier_ai_and_robots_take_over_hospital_hygiene), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science): occupational LLM exposure framework](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-06-05
- [PTT — How AI Is Changing the Sterile Processing Industry (2025)](https://ptt.edu/how-ai-is-changing-the-sterile-processing-industry/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Milayo Institute 2025 — Why Healthcare and Sterile Processing Tech Is Largely AI-Proof](https://milayinstitute.com/why-healthcare-and-sterile-processing-tech-spt-is-largely-ai-proof/), accessed 2026-06-05

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.