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Medical Appliance Technicians

	Median Wage (USD, 2025)	Projected Job Openings (2025-2035)	Projected Growth (2025-2035)
National Statistics	$48030	1500	3.3%
State Statistics	-	-	-
City Statistics	-	-	-

Statistics

National

State

City

State

City

$48030

Median Wage (USD, 2025)

1500

Projected Job Openings (2025-2035)

3.3%

Projected Growth (2025-2035)

Construct, maintain, or repair medical supportive devices such as braces, orthotics and prosthetic devices, joints, arch supports, and other surgical and medical appliances.

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)

Related Work Experience: N.A.

On-Site or In-Plant Training: Up to and including 1 month

On-the-Job Training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months

Detailed Work Activities

Measure clients to ensure proper product fit.
Construct customized assistive medical or dental devices.
Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements.
Repair medical or dental assistive devices.
Instruct patients in the use of assistive equipment.
Cast molds of patient anatomies to create medical or dental devices.
Adjust fabrics or other materials during garment production.
Drill holes in parts, equipment, or materials.
Operate welding equipment.
Draw guide lines or markings on materials or workpieces using patterns or other references.
Inspect medical or dental assistive devices.
Polish materials, workpieces, or finished products.
Operate grinding equipment.
Repair production equipment or tools.
Mix ingredients to create specific finishes.
Apply protective or decorative finishes to workpieces or products.
Order materials, supplies, or equipment.
Order medical supplies or equipment.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

Tasks

Repair, modify, or maintain medical supportive devices, such as artificial limbs, braces, or surgical supports, according to specifications.
Polish artificial limbs, braces, or supports, using grinding and buffing wheels.
Construct or receive casts or impressions of patients' torsos or limbs for use as cutting and fabrication patterns.
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.
Test medical supportive devices for proper alignment, movement, or biomechanical stability, using meters and alignment fixtures.
Drill and tap holes for rivets, and glue, weld, bolt, or rivet parts together to form prosthetic or orthotic devices.
Lay out and mark dimensions of parts, using templates and precision measuring instruments.
Cover or pad metal or plastic structures or devices, using coverings such as rubber, leather, felt, plastic, or fiberglass.
Order parts or supplies for orthotic or prosthetic devices.
Mix pigments to match patients' skin coloring, according to formulas, and apply mixtures to orthotic or prosthetic devices.
Service or repair machinery used in the fabrication of appliances.
Take patients' body or limb measurements for use in device construction.
Instruct patients in use of prosthetic or orthotic devices.
Fit appliances onto patients, and make any necessary adjustments.

Work Styles

Innovation

A tendency to be inventive, to be imaginative, and to adopt new perspectives on ways to accomplish work.

Achievement Orientation

Intellectual Curiosity

Tolerance for Ambiguity

Initiative

Adaptability

Self-Confidence

Perseverance

Leadership Orientation

Humility

Sincerity

Empathy

Cooperation

Optimism

Social Orientation

Cautiousness

Attention to Detail

Dependability

Integrity

Stress Tolerance

Self-Control

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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