Dental Assistant vs Sterile Processing Technician
Pay, skills and open jobs side by side, from current job postings across the US.
Pay
Dental Assistant
$46,800 typical, a year
Most Dental Assistants earn $41,600 to $53,000 a year.
From 3,054 postings that list pay
5,878 open jobs now
Sterile Processing Technician
$55,000 typical, a year
Most Sterile Processing Technicians earn $47,800 to $69,400 a year.
From 205 postings that list pay
1,776 open jobs now
Sterile Processing Technician salaries Sterile Processing Technician jobs
Sterile Processing Technicians typically earn about $8,200 more a year than Dental Assistants.
What each one does
Dental Assistant
- Assist dentists during dental procedures.
- Sterilize instruments and clean treatment rooms.
- Take and process dental X-rays.
- Educate patients on oral hygiene and care.
- Prepare patients for dental exams and treatments.
- Document patient information and treatment plans.
Summed up from 30 job postings
Sterile Processing Technician
- Clean and disinfect surgical instruments and medical equipment according to protocols.
- Inspect instruments for functionality, cleanliness, and damage before sterilization.
- Assemble surgical trays and instrument sets for procedures.
- Operate sterilization equipment, including autoclaves and washer-disinfectors.
- Maintain accurate sterilization logs and inventory records.
- Follow infection control and safety guidelines consistently.
Summed up from 30 job postings
Skills employers ask for
Dental Assistant
Asked for in both
- Infection Control 4 in 10 postings
More common in Dental Assistant postings
- Dental Assistance 6 in 10 postings
- Chairside Assisting 2 in 10 postings
- Intraoral Camera 1 in 10 postings
- Patient Records 1 in 10 postings
- Orthodontics 1 in 10 postings
- Direct Patient Care 1 in 10 postings
Sterile Processing Technician
Asked for in both
- Infection Control 2 in 10 postings
More common in Sterile Processing Technician postings
- Sterile Processing 9 in 10 postings
- Laboratory Decontamination 3 in 10 postings
- Surgical Instrument Preparation 2 in 10 postings
- Medical Terminology 2 in 10 postings
- Medical Decontamination 1 in 10 postings
- Operating Room Instrumentation 1 in 10 postings
- Inventory Management 1 in 10 postings
Out of each role's current postings.
Licenses and certifications
Dental Assistant
- X-Ray Technician Certification 2 in 10 postings
- CPR Certification 2 in 10 postings
Sterile Processing Technician
- CRCST Certification 5 in 10 postings
Open jobs
Dental Assistant
Registered Dental Assistant (RDA)
Bluetree Dental$25 - $26/hr Employer statedCamas, WACPR CertificationRadiographyImagingSedationChairside Assisting +1Dental Assistant I - Entry Level
Choptank Community Health$16.17 - $19.41/hr Employer statedDenton, MD, 21629 | Chestertown, MD, 21620 | Cambridge, MD, 21613 | Federalsburg, MD, 21632CPR CertificationDental EquipmentPediatric Dental Assistant @ Main Street of Clermont
Dental Care AlliancePay not stated 2410 E Highway 50, Clermont, FL, USCPR CertificationInfection ControlRadiographyX-Ray Technician CertificationPatient Records +2
Sterile Processing Technician
Sterile Processing Technician II - Sterile Processing - Full Time 8 Hour Nights (Non-Exempt) (Union)
Kusc$27.45 - $46.68/hr Employer statedLos Angeles, CA - Health Sciences CampusMedical TerminologySterile Processing- $19.02 - $27.1/hr Employer statedCamden County, NJInventory ManagementInfection ControlSurgical SuppliesAseptic TechniquesSterile Processing +1
- Pay not stated North Fulton HospitalSterile ProcessingInfection ControlSterile Manufacturing
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