Skilled Trades
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.
Median salary
$47,060
Typical range
$37k – $75k
Job outlook
+4% (faster than average)
AI exposure
Plan a path to Medical Appliance Technicians
Education
Typical entry: No degree (trade/license)
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Junior Medical Appliance Technicians
Entry / Junior
$36,560
~2 yrs to advance
Medical Appliance Technicians
Established
$47,060
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Medical Appliance Technicians
Senior
$60,815
Key skills
A typical day
- •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.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Skilled Trades
Explore all- Purdue University50% admit · $78,000 grad pay
- Ohio State University53% admit · $68,000 grad pay
- Pennsylvania State University55% admit · $70,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.