Maine · Verified November 2026
Sterile Processing Technician Programs for Maine Residents
Where Can Maine Residents Get Sterile Processing Technician Training?
Maine residents train through an online or hybrid program or at a campus in a nearby state. 3 fully online programs are listed below, and the closest campuses are in Massachusetts. Medical equipment preparers in Maine earn a median of $46,860 a year (BLS, May 2025).
Online Sterile Processing Technician Programs for Maine Residents
Online coursework still leads to hands-on hours in a real department: the CRCST requires 400 of them. Check where each program places you for clinicals before you apply.
| Program | Format | Length | Clinical hours | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kishwaukee College: online program pageMalta, IL | Online | 16 weeks | $1,300published total, 2026-27 | |
| Herzing University-Madison: online program pageMadison, WI | Online | 43 weeks | Included | $530per credit, 2026-27 |
| Lehman College: online program pageBronx, NY | Online | 80 hours | Included |
Closest Sterile Processing Schools to Maine
Sterile Processing Technician Certification in Maine
No Maine law in force requires sterile processing certification, so the requirement comes from employers. Many hospitals hire for, or ask new technicians to earn, HSPA's CRCST (the central service technician credential) or CBSPD's CSPDT. Full CRCST certification needs 400 hands-on hours in a hospital department; you can test first and hold provisional status while you log them.
How the CRCST and its 400 hours work · States that require certification by law
Sterile Processing Technician Salary in Maine
- bottom tenth
- $38,010
- median
- $46,860
- top tenth
- $59,780
- employed
- 510
Maine's median of $46,860 is below the national median of $47,700. Figures are annual wages for medical equipment preparers (SOC 31-9093), the BLS occupation for sterile processing technicians, OEWS May 2025.
Questions About Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Maine
How Do You Become a Sterile Processing Technician in Maine?
Finish a training program, online or in a nearby state, log hands-on hours in a hospital, and pass a certification exam: HSPA's CRCST, which needs 400 hands-on hours for full certification, or CBSPD's CSPDT. Maine has no certification law in force, but many hospitals hire for the CRCST. Every step in order.
How Much Do Sterile Processing Technicians Make in Maine?
The median for medical equipment preparers in Maine is $46,860 a year, with the bottom tenth earning $38,010 and the top tenth $59,780, across 510 jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $47,700. Pay in every state.
Can Maine Residents Train Online?
Partly. 3 programs put all coursework online, and many programs are hybrid, but the CRCST's 400 hands-on hours happen in a real hospital department. Online program rankings.
More Rankings and Certification Guides
- Best Programs NationwideEvery verified program, scored on hands-on hours, certification prep, cost and track record
- Online and Hybrid RankingsOnline and hybrid programs, and how each one gets you hands-on hours
- Most Affordable RankingsPrograms ranked by the whole-program price each school publishes
- With Externships RankingsPrograms with clinical hours in a hospital sterile processing department
- CRCST CertificationThe 400-hour requirement and the exam
- Certification Requirements by StateWhich states require it by law
- Best Programs in Massachusetts4 schools
- Rankings by StateEvery state's ranking
Sources
- Official program pages of the schools listed, reviewed November 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Medical Equipment Preparers, state estimates