Sterilisation Technicians

ANZSCO ID 711914

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
4,100
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
60%
Female Share
72%
Average age
50

Summary

Sterilisation Technicians clean, sterilise and package surgical instruments and other hospital equipment, soft goods and linen, in a sterilisation service facility.

Tasks

  • Identifies equipment to be sterilised.

  • Cleans and sterilises surgical instruments and other hospital equipment.

  • Operates a variety of sterilisation machines.

  • Complies with infection control policies and procedures.

  • Prepares and packs medical items.

Characteristics

Job Type
Machinery Operators And Drivers
Skill Level
Lower skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
  • Administrative
Physical Demand
  • Sedentary
  • Light
  • Medium

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Other Machine Operators, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 60% of people employed as Sterilisation Technicians work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 6 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 41 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Health Care and Social Assistance
93.1%
2
Public Administration and Safety
1.4%
3
Manufacturing
0.9%
4
Administrative and Support Services
0.9%
5
Other industries
2.6%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

33.1% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

26.8% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

13.9% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

9.0% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

12.2% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

2.4% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.8% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.8% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Sterilisation Technicians All Jobs Average
NSW 33.1 31.6
VIC 26.8 25.6
QLD 13.9 20.0
SA 9.0 7.0
WA 12.2 10.8
TAS 2.4 2.0
NT 0.8 1.0
ACT 1.8 1.9



Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
50
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
72%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Sterilisation Technicians is 50 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.

    Females make up 72% of the workforce. This is 24 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Sterilisation Technicians All Jobs Average
15-19 0.6 5.0
20-24 3.6 9.3
25-34 11.3 22.9
35-44 19.0 22.0
45-54 32.8 21.6
55-59 16.9 9.0
60-64 11.3 6.0
65 and Over 4.6 4.2
Median Age 50 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Sterilisation Technician. Although some workers have a certificate III or IV in sterilisation services.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Chemical, Hydrocarbons & Refining VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Sterilisation Technicians All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 2.9 10.1
Bachelor degree 13.8 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 11.8 11.6
Certificate III/IV 41.1 21.1
Year 12 13.4 18.1
Year 11 4.5 4.8
Year 10 and below 12.5 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Other Machine Operators who are hardworking, can work well with others and are reliable.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 45%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 43%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 43%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 43%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 43%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 41%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 41%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 41%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 39%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 39%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 39%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 39%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 37%

    Equipment maintenance

    Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.

  • 37%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 37%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 37%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 37%

    Troubleshooting

    Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.

  • 36%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 36%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 29%

    Management of material resources

    Providing the right equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do work.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 79%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 57%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 53%

    Biology

    Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.

  • 47%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 43%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 42%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 41%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 39%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 39%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 36%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 36%

    Medicine and dentistry

    Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.

  • 35%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 29%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 27%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 27%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 25%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 24%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 23%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 21%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 19%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 55%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 54%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 46%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 45%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 45%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 45%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 45%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 45%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 45%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 43%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

  • 43%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 43%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 43%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • 43%

    Static strength

    Lift, push, pull, or carry things.

  • 43%

    Trunk strength

    Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.

  • 41%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 41%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 37%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 37%

    Multilimb coordination

    Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.

  • 36%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 87%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 84%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 83%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 80%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 80%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 79%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 78%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 77%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 77%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 75%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 73%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 68%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 67%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 65%

    Controlling equipment or machines

    Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).

  • 64%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 64%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 62%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 57%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 54%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 54%

    Helping and caring for others

    Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 90%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 86%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 52%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 29%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 29%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 14%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 76%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 71%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 43%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 38%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 38%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 38%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 100%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 100%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 99%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 95%

    Exposure to contaminants

    Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.

  • 94%

    Disease or infection

    Be exposed to disease or infections.

  • 94%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 92%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 91%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 90%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 89%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 87%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 87%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 86%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 84%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 83%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

    Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.

  • 83%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

  • 82%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 82%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 82%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 82%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 31-9093.00 - Medical Equipment Preparers.


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