Medical Appliance Technicians
Construct, maintain, or repair medical supportive devices such as braces, orthotics and prosthetic devices, joints, arch supports, and other surgical and medical appliances.
Also called: Certified Pedorthotist · Hearing Aid Repair Technician · Lab Technician · Orthopedic Technician · Orthotic and Prosthetic Technician (O and P Technician) · Orthotic Technician
Median pay (national)
$47,060
$36,560–$74,570 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
11,490
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+3.7%
~1,500 openings/yr
Typical entry
High school diploma or equivalent
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for medical appliance technicians shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $74,570 versus $36,560 at the bottom 10% — 2.0x. The median of $47,060 leaves roughly 58% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +3.7% from 2024 to 2034 — about as fast as the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 1,500 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 39 states with released data, Nebraska pays the most for this role (median $84,070, +79% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $25,240 — a 233% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Writing
- Active Learning
- Learning Strategies
- Mathematics
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Read prescriptions or specifications to determine the type of product or device to be fabricated and the materials and tools required.
- Make orthotic or prosthetic devices, using materials such as thermoplastic and thermosetting materials, metal alloys and leather, and hand or power tools.
- Lay out and mark dimensions of parts, using templates and precision measuring instruments.
- Fit appliances onto patients, and make any necessary adjustments.
- Repair, modify, or maintain medical supportive devices, such as artificial limbs, braces, or surgical supports, according to specifications.
- Service or repair machinery used in the fabrication of appliances.
- Polish artificial limbs, braces, or supports, using grinding and buffing wheels.
- Drill and tap holes for rivets, and glue, weld, bolt, or rivet parts together to form prosthetic or orthotic devices.
- Bend, form, and shape fabric or material to conform to prescribed contours of structural components.
- Construct or receive casts or impressions of patients' torsos or limbs for use as cutting and fabrication patterns.
Tools & technology
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Footmaxx Metascan software
- Gait analysis software
- Ohio Willow Wood OMEGA Tracer System
- Orthotic fabrication software
- Seattle Systems Shapemaker
- SoftSource CADview
- Vorum Research Corporation CANFIT-PLUS
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Word
Knowledge areas
- Production and Processing
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Mechanical
- Design
- Education and Training
- Mathematics
- Administration and Management