Medical Appliance Technicians
Health ScienceO*NET 51-9082.00United States
Construct, maintain, or repair medical supportive devices such as braces, orthotics and prosthetic devices, joints, arch supports, and other surgical and medical appliances.
- Median annual earnings
- $47,736
- Projected change
- +5.4%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 12.19K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
27% of the workforce
Growing to 12.85K by 2035
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These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What medical appliance technicians do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Read prescriptions or specifications to determine the type of product or device to be fabricated and the materials and tools required.
- Drill and tap holes for rivets, and glue, weld, bolt, or rivet parts together to form prosthetic or orthotic devices.
- Make orthotic or prosthetic devices, using materials such as thermoplastic and thermosetting materials, metal alloys and leather, and hand or power tools.
- 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.
- Repair, modify, or maintain medical supportive devices, such as artificial limbs, braces, or surgical supports, according to specifications.
- Cover or pad metal or plastic structures or devices, using coverings such as rubber, leather, felt, plastic, or fiberglass.
- Lay out and mark dimensions of parts, using templates and precision measuring instruments.
- Test medical supportive devices for proper alignment, movement, or biomechanical stability, using meters and alignment fixtures.
- Fit appliances onto patients, and make any necessary adjustments.
- Take patients' body or limb measurements for use in device construction.
- Polish artificial limbs, braces, or supports, using grinding and buffing wheels.
- Instruct patients in use of prosthetic or orthotic devices.
- Service or repair machinery used in the fabrication of appliances.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $35,215
- 25th percentile
- $41,356
- 50th percentile
- $47,736
- 75th percentile
- $61,408
- 90th percentile
- $79,256
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $47,736 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+5.4%average or slower
202512,190 jobs
2035 projected12,853 jobs
663 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 27%
- Associate degree
- 26.3%
- Bachelor's degree
- 18.5%
- Certificate
- 10.2%
- Master's or Professional degree
- 9.5%
- Some college
- 8.6%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Medical Assemblers619 postings
- 02Medical Device Assemblers565 postings
- 03Orthopedic Technicians550 postings
- 04Operators225 postings
- 05Assemblers150 postings
- 06Cleanroom Technicians88 postings
- 07Cleanroom Assemblers74 postings
- 08Technicians47 postings
- 09Assembly Operators41 postings
- 10Cleanroom Operators39 postings
- 11Orthotic and Prosthetic Technicians38 postings
- 12Medical Device Technicians37 postings
- 13Finance and Insurance Directors36 postings
- 14Assembly Workers31 postings
- 15Prosthetic Technicians31 postings
- 16Assembly Technicians30 postings
- 17Order Builders24 postings
- 18Packagers17 postings
- 19Medical Device Sales Representatives16 postings
- 20Manufacturing Assemblers15 postings
Top employers
- 01Aerotek1,087 postings
- 02ManpowerGroup203 postings
- 03Abbott Laboratories65 postings
- 04Talentburst58 postings
- 05BEPC51 postings
- 06Kelly Services44 postings
- 07Volt39 postings
- 08AppleOne35 postings
- 09Kaiser Permanente35 postings
- 10Rose International30 postings
- 11Adecco28 postings
- 12Biomerics28 postings
- 13ResourceMFG28 postings
- 14Spherion Staffing28 postings
- 15Atlas Staffing27 postings
- 16Nesco Resource25 postings
- 17Ata Staffing24 postings
- 18ATR International19 postings
- 19CHRISTUS Health19 postings
- 20Cynet Systems19 postings
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