Occupations · Production

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.

O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 51-9082.00

$47,060median annual wage, May 2024

11,490people employed, United States

▲ 3.7%projected change, 2024→2034

1,500openings a year, incl. replacements

What it pays

A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage

Pay over time

Median up 69% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.

BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.

Where the jobs are

Metro area	Median wage	Employed
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	$46,710	760
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	$38,260	550
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$46,410	440
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	$44,920	430
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	$48,820	360
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA	$43,620	320
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ	$76,040	270
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$53,170	240
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA	$46,090	210
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	$51,830	160
Jacksonville, FL	$45,690	130
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN	$52,130	130

BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation

Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34

What people in this job actually do

Ordered by how important the work is rated.

Drill and tap holes for rivets, and glue, weld, bolt, or rivet parts together to form prosthetic or orthotic devices.
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.
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.
Test medical supportive devices for proper alignment, movement, or biomechanical stability, using meters and alignment fixtures.
Lay out and mark dimensions of parts, using templates and precision measuring instruments.
Fit appliances onto patients, and make any necessary adjustments.
Polish artificial limbs, braces, or supports, using grinding and buffing wheels.
Mix pigments to match patients' skin coloring, according to formulas, and apply mixtures to orthotic or prosthetic devices.

O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale

Skills that matter most

Importance, rated 1 to 5.

Active Listening3.9

Critical Thinking3.8

Speaking3.6

Reading Comprehension3.6

Monitoring3.2

Writing3.0

Active Learning3.0

Learning Strategies2.9

Mathematics2.8

Science1.9

O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale

Software and tools

A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.

Autodesk AutoCAD●Microsoft Excel●Microsoft Office software●Microsoft Outlook●Microsoft Word●Footmaxx Metascan softwareGait analysis softwareOhio Willow Wood OMEGA Tracer SystemOrthotic fabrication softwareSeattle Systems ShapemakerSoftSource CADviewVorum Research Corporation CANFIT-PLUS

O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag

What this work is actually like

Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.

3 / 5Medium preparation — vocational training or an associate degree, plus 1–2 years of work.

O*NET 30.3 Job Zones

Working conditions that stand out

Exposed to Hazardous Equipment+2.2 above average

Exposed to Contaminants+2.0 above average

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets+1.6 above average

Exposed to Hazardous Conditions+1.3 above average

Spend Time Standing+1.2 above average

Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls+1.2 above average

Spend Time Sitting−1.2 below average

O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2015-07

How people actually get in

Share of workers by the education they hold.

Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)26%

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)21%

Bachelor's Degree18%

Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)10%

O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2015-07

What kind of person the work suits

Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.

Realistic7.0

Investigative4.0

Conventional3.7

O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)

Tasks O*NET flags as emerging

Order parts or supplies for orthotic or prosthetic devices.

O*NET 30.3 emerging tasks

What you take with you

Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.

Quality Control Analysis3.8

Troubleshooting3.6

Operations Monitoring3.5

Social Perceptiveness3.5

Complex Problem Solving3.4

Judgment and Decision Making3.2

Service Orientation3.1

Instructing3.0

O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale

Knowledge the work draws on

Production and ProcessingCustomer and Personal ServiceEnglish LanguageMechanicalDesignEducation and Training

Abilities it leans on

Near VisionOral ComprehensionProblem SensitivityOral ExpressionArm-Hand SteadinessDeductive Reasoning

O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale

How this job is advertised

The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.

Model MakerBrace MakerLab TechnicianOrthotic FitterOrthotics FitterMedical AssemblerArch-Support MakerArch Support MakerOrthotic TechnicianRestoration OfficerSurgical Brace MakerArtificial Eye MakerOrthotics TechnicianArtificial Limb Maker

O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation

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What changed since 2015

Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 1 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.

Now listed 4

+Microsoft Office software+Microsoft Excel+Microsoft Word+Microsoft Outlook

Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.

O*NET 30.3 related occupations

Also called

DesignerModel MakerBrace MakerLab TechnicianOrthotic FitterOrthotics FitterMedical AssemblerArch Support MakerArch-Support MakerOrthotic TechnicianRestoration OfficerSurgical Brace Maker

O*NET 30.3 alternative titles

The same work in Europe

ESCO occupation	ISCO	Match
prosthetic-orthotics technician	3214.3.1	exact
dental technician	3214.2	broader
audiology technician	3214.1	broader
prosthetist-orthotist	3214.3	broader

Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)

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