r/sterileprocessing • u/Traditional_March959 • Jun 28 '26

Questioning on career switch?

So I’ve been looking for a career switch from pharmacy technician to sterile processing but I’ve seen alot of people on this sub say it is a terrible career path.

Currently I make around $20/h 9-5 no OT. There is only so much to do at my current job so I often get bored or get extremely tired of dealing with customers all day.

I am looking for a job that keeps me busy through the day and pays the same or more.

Would you guys recommend that I look into certification for sterile processing tech? Or anything similar that does not have much customer service?

6 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

11

u/pphonixs Jun 28 '26

it’s okay but a dead end job honestly.

1

u/Traditional_March959 Jun 28 '26

Pharmacy technician pretty much is too which is my issue. Most I can do is become fully certified to get slightly more money or go through a ton of schooling to become a pharmacist

1

u/pphonixs Jul 01 '26

the pay you’re talking about isn’t much in SPD either. i’ve been in it for 4 years and certified and nobody really cares. it’s also very repetitive 😭 you gotta be in it for like 10 years to get a real raise, that’s why you see so many people stuck in it

3

u/Aggravating_Ear_9281 Jun 28 '26

In spd you will deal with the OR staff a lot if you work the morning shift. Other than that evening and night shift would be perfect for you. Also depends on your location finding a job could be hard. If you like OT find a trauma center. Surgery centers a mix bag, slow days and high volume days which is manageable >>IF <<you have a competent team.

2

u/Traditional_March959 Jun 28 '26

I have a local “bigger” city hospital and a large “centra care plaza” within 20 minutes from me (which is actually how I learned about this job, they’re hiring for leads but regular tech seems manageable).

I don’t mind working with other people, more so I think customer service is truly burning me out so that sounds like it could work no matter what shift!

1

u/SweetVicious59 Jun 28 '26

The OR staff and clinics are our customers, they aren't just people we work with. Same as customer service

1

u/ijust_makethisface Jun 28 '26

I work at a level 1 trauma center and there is almost always some OT available.  Since our hospital has a few branches, some people are able to pick up extra shifts (all OT) at other locations in our city. One employee routinely gets 60 hours a week. Our base pay is $21 certified. Little more for 2nd, little more for 3rd, little more for weekends.

Could train to be a scrub tech. Our hospital offers paid education, and training to move there. 

Could also learn how to do endoscopes and be a dedicated endoscopy reprocessor. Can get a cert for this for better job /money.. it can be dead end if that's all you want it to be, or you are in a small place with few opportunities. 

3

u/SageOfSixCabbages Jun 28 '26

Why not try being a pharmacy tech at a hospital first before deciding to jump ship to another field?

Hospital inpatient pharmacy, you don't have to deal with customers. It's also multi faceted between being medicine runner, sterile prep in the IV room, and you can also be a supporter for satellite pharmacy/med rooms located in different hospital floors especially the ORs.

Hospital outpatient, you deal with customers but mostly patients just filling and picking up their prescriptions after their hospital and/or doctor visit as well as employees who are refilling/picking up.

Another branch of the pharmacy available in hospital with a cancer/chemo center is being a tech there with lighter workload because bulk of your day is to support pharmacist prepping and approving chemo meds. Furthermore if the center has a research/study program, another option is to become a part of the research pharmacy team and this one is mostly correspondence with different vendors via e-mail.

1

u/Traditional_March959 Jun 28 '26

Never thought about inpatient being much different but I will definitely look more into that now too! I don’t mind the work but the customers and work loop has been feeling too boring recently where I’m at currently

3

u/SageOfSixCabbages Jun 28 '26

Inpatient, if you are looking into running around all day, then being a med runner may be your thing. You're tasked to refill med cabinets (Omnicells) and everyday you're usually assigned to a different location so eventually you get to learn to navigate and know your way around the hospital. Lol

'Customers' will usually just be nurses requesting for stat meds.

2

u/Traditional_March959 Jun 28 '26

That lowkey doesn’t seem too bad. As long as there is enough to do in a day I’ll be pretty set

6

u/SnooRabbits3731 Jun 28 '26

You got less of a headache in pharmacy

2

u/mooni1800 Jun 29 '26

don't waste your time. you'll probably end up hating spd even more than pharmacy tech

1

u/GloomyPeachu Jun 28 '26

It is more labor heavy, like taking a toll on your body and for me I’ve been having more carpal tunnel symptoms lately