Houston pay at a glance
| Hourly pay | BLS, Houston | BLS, Texas | BLS, U.S. | Live staff listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.90 | $17.01 | $17.50 | – |
| 25th percentile | $18.48 | $18.33 | $19.13 | – |
| Median | $22.73 | $22.58 | $22.93 | – |
| 75th percentile | $28.43 | $28.08 | $28.16 | – |
| 90th percentile | $34.95 | $33.63 | $33.63 | – |
| Mean | $24.12 | $23.74 | $24.28 | – |
| Sample | 1,270 employed | 4,520 employed | 77,420 employed | 0 listings with hourly pay |
The BLS median in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metro area is $22.73 an hour, 1% below the national median of $22.93 and 1% above Texas as a whole ($22.58). BLS's annual median is $47,270. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, 31-9093 Medical Equipment Preparers (occupation profile)
None of the 6 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 $1,720 a week (1 listing), which can include tax-free stipends. See travel SPD pay.
Other metro areas in Texas
| Metro area (BLS) | Median hourly | vs Houston | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $24.19 | +6% | 1,210 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $21.68 | −5% | 390 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $23.69 | +4% | 370 |
| Lubbock | $19.03 | −16% | 120 |
| Tyler | $21.44 | −6% | 120 |
| El Paso | $20.01 | −12% | 90 |
| Corpus Christi | $17.46 | −23% | 80 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | $18.26 | −20% | 80 |
BLS OEWS May 2025, 31-9093, largest metros by employment. All Texas metros: Texas salary guide. Source: BLS Public Data API: OEWS May 2025 metro and state series for 31-9093
Live sterile processing jobs in the Houston area
6 live openings in 6 listings (5 staff, 1 travel), in Bellaire, Houston, Humble, Sugar Land, as of Oct 21, 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
Texas 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
California Texas Florida New York Massachusetts Pennsylvania Georgia New Jersey Ohio Arizona New York City Los Angeles Dallas–Fort Worth Chicago Boston
Frequently asked questions
How much does a sterile processing tech make in Houston?
The BLS median wage for medical equipment preparers (SOC 31-9093, which covers sterile processing technicians) in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metro area was $22.73 an hour, or $47,270 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 Houston?
BLS puts the 10th percentile at $17.90 an hour and the 90th percentile at $34.95 in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metro area (May 2025); the middle half earn between $18.48 and $28.43. 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: 585 live sterile processing openings collected from public hospital and staffing-agency career sites, Oct 21, 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.