Medical Equipment Preparers
What Medical Equipment Preparers Do
Prepare, sterilize, install, or clean laboratory or healthcare equipment. May perform routine laboratory tasks and operate or inspect equipment.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 3.4%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.5/5
- English Languageimportance 3.9/5
- Biologyimportance 3.4/5
- Production and Processingimportance 3.2/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.1/5
- Administrativeimportance 3.0/5
- Chemistryimportance 2.9/5
- Mechanicalimportance 2.7/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Telephone Conversations5.0/5
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled5.0/5
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets5.0/5
- Exposed to Contaminants4.8/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.7/5
- Exposed to Disease or Infections4.7/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers91% skill match
- Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas90% skill match
- Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door90% skill match
- Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders90% skill match
- Helpers--Electricians89% skill match
- Roof Bolters, Mining89% skill match
- Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers88% skill match
- Automotive Body and Related Repairers88% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.4/5
- Operations Monitoringimportance 3.3/5
- Troubleshootingimportance 3.1/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 2.9/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.8/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- Calendar software
- Database software
- Email software
- Inventory tracking software
- MEDITECH Supply Chain Management
- McKesson ANSOS One-Staff
- Microsoft SharePoint Server
- Pyxis MedStation software
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Integrity
- Cooperation
- Self-Control
- Stress Tolerance
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalHigh
- InvestigativeMedium
- SocialLow
- ArtisticLow
- EnterprisingLow
Specific Interests
A more detailed breakdown of this occupation’s interest profile, per O*NET.
Military Backgrounds That Lead Here
Military occupations commonly matched to this career, per the DMDC Military Crosswalk.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where medical equipment preparers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Florence, SC3.65× national avg
- 2Winston-Salem, NC3.51× national avg
- 3Sioux Falls, SD-MN3.38× national avg
- 4Eugene-Springfield, OR3.35× national avg
- 5Iowa City, IA3.32× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Telecommunications Line Installers and RepairersCareer Change
- Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe CleanersCareer Change
- Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical DoorCareer Change
- Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersCareer Change
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
Sterile Processing Technology/Technician
- Northwest Career College (Las Vegas, NV)
- Contra Costa Medical Career College (Antioch, CA)grads earn ~$62,065
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (Little Rock, AR)grads earn ~$67,126
- Grand Canyon University (Phoenix, AZ)grads earn ~$79,175
- MTI College (Sacramento, CA)grads earn ~$42,959