Detroit pay at a glance
| Hourly pay | BLS, Detroit | BLS, Michigan | BLS, U.S. | Live staff listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $19.04 | $18.15 | $17.50 | – |
| 25th percentile | $19.54 | $19.12 | $19.13 | – |
| Median | $21.91 | $21.96 | $22.93 | – |
| 75th percentile | $24.12 | $23.89 | $28.16 | – |
| 90th percentile | $29.46 | $27.91 | $33.63 | – |
| Mean | $23.10 | $22.38 | $24.28 | – |
| Sample | 1,030 employed | 2,420 employed | 77,420 employed | 0 listings with hourly pay |
The BLS median in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metro area is $21.91 an hour, 4% below the national median of $22.93 and about the same as Michigan as a whole ($21.96). BLS's annual median is $45,570. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, 31-9093 Medical Equipment Preparers (occupation profile)
None of the 16 live listings in the metro publish an hourly rate for a staff technician role right now, so the BLS figures are the best guide here.
Travel contracts here quote a median of $1,032 a week (2 listings), which can include tax-free stipends. See travel SPD pay.
Other metro areas in Michigan
| Metro area (BLS) | Median hourly | vs Detroit | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $22.05 | +1% | 300 |
| Ann Arbor | $24.05 | +10% | 230 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage | $20.79 | −5% | 90 |
| Flint | $22.43 | +2% | 80 |
| Lansing-East Lansing | $22.51 | +3% | 80 |
| Saginaw | $21.67 | −1% | 60 |
| Traverse City | $19.16 | −13% | 60 |
BLS OEWS May 2025, 31-9093, largest metros by employment. Source: BLS Public Data API: OEWS May 2025 metro and state series for 31-9093
Live sterile processing jobs in the Detroit area
16 live openings in 14 listings (11 staff, 3 travel), in Brighton, Dearborn, Livonia, Pontiac, Royal Oak, Troy, as of Oct 22, 2026. Listings are matched to the metro by city, using the Census Bureau's county-based metro definitions; listings that only give a state are not counted.
Certification rules
Michigan is not on HSPA's list of states that require sterile processing certification, but many employers ask for a CRCST or CSPDT anyway. Source: HSPA: Legislative certification issues (state map)
Getting started: how to become an SPD tech · CRCST vs CBSPD · entry-level jobs
How these numbers work
- BLS figures are the May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for SOC 31-9093 (medical equipment preparers), pulled from the official BLS data API. They reflect wages actually paid to everyone in the job, including long-tenured staff.
- Posted figures are the median of the midpoint of each live listing's advertised range, for staff technician roles paid hourly, before shift differentials and sign-on bonuses. They rebuild every day.
- Compare every state on one page: salary by state.
More salary guides
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Frequently asked questions
How much does a sterile processing tech make in Detroit?
The BLS median wage for medical equipment preparers (SOC 31-9093, which covers sterile processing technicians) in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metro area was $21.91 an hour, or $45,570 a year, in May 2025, against $22.93 nationally. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, 31-9093 Medical Equipment Preparers (occupation profile).
What is the pay range for sterile processing techs in Detroit?
BLS puts the 10th percentile at $19.04 an hour and the 90th percentile at $29.46 in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metro area (May 2025); the middle half earn between $19.54 and $24.12. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, 31-9093 Medical Equipment Preparers (occupation profile).
Sources
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 31-9093 Medical Equipment Preparers (occupation profile)
- BLS Public Data API: OEWS May 2025 metro and state series for 31-9093
- U.S. Census Bureau: July 2023 metropolitan area delineation files (used to place listings in metros)
- HSPA: Legislative certification issues (state map)
- SterileShift job data: 593 live sterile processing openings collected from public hospital and staffing-agency career sites, Oct 22, 2026. How we collect it.
SterileShift is not affiliated with HSPA, CBSPD or the BLS. Rules, fees and dates change: confirm on the official sites before you apply or pay for anything.