What Does it Take to Be a Medical Appliance Technician?
Job Description & Duties Construct, fit, maintain, or repair medical supportive devices, such as braces, orthotics and prosthetic devices, joints, arch supports, and other surgical and medical appliances.
Daily Life Of a Medical Appliance Technician
- Lay out and mark dimensions of parts, using templates and precision measuring instruments.
- Construct or receive casts or impressions of patients’ torsos or limbs for use as cutting and fabrication patterns.
- Test medical supportive devices for proper alignment, movement, or biomechanical stability, using meters and alignment fixtures.
- Polish artificial limbs, braces, or supports, using grinding and buffing wheels.
- Bend, form, and shape fabric or material to conform to prescribed contours of structural components.
- Mix pigments to match patients’ skin coloring, according to formulas, and apply mixtures to orthotic or prosthetic devices.
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Skills Needed to be a Medical Appliance Technician
When polled, Medical Appliance Technicians say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
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.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Other Medical Appliance Technician Job Titles
- Orthotic and Prosthetic Technician (O and P Technician)
- Prosthetic Technician
- Certified Pedorthotist
- Registered Prosthetic Orthotic Technician
- Prosthetics Technician
Medical Appliance Technician Employment Estimates
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 15,000 jobs in the United States for Medical Appliance Technician. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 13.3% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 2,000 new jobs for Medical Appliance Technician by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 2,000 job openings in this field each year.
The states with the most job growth for Medical Appliance Technician are Utah, Tennessee, and Delaware. Watch out if you plan on working in Oklahoma, North Dakota, or Nebraska. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Medical Appliance Technician Salary
The typical yearly salary for Medical Appliance Technicians is somewhere between $24,090 and $63,130.
Medical Appliance Technicians who work in Colorado, Alaska, or Massachusetts, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Medical Appliance Technicians in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $47,070 |
| Alaska | $50,320 |
| Arizona | $40,770 |
| Arkansas | $35,330 |
| California | $48,370 |
| Colorado | $52,060 |
| Connecticut | $42,740 |
| Delaware | $40,690 |
| Florida | $42,720 |
| Georgia | $39,190 |
| Illinois | $51,390 |
| Indiana | $35,050 |
| Iowa | $39,990 |
| Kansas | $35,190 |
| Kentucky | $37,620 |
| Louisiana | $30,020 |
| Maine | $44,140 |
| Maryland | $44,760 |
| Massachusetts | $48,230 |
| Michigan | $46,740 |
| Minnesota | $44,590 |
| Mississippi | $38,400 |
| Missouri | $36,820 |
| Nevada | $40,960 |
| New Hampshire | $46,200 |
| New Jersey | $41,510 |
| New Mexico | $39,250 |
| New York | $41,580 |
| North Carolina | $39,880 |
| Ohio | $37,340 |
| Oklahoma | $36,060 |
| Oregon | $35,130 |
| Pennsylvania | $41,620 |
| Rhode Island | $46,050 |
| South Carolina | $36,980 |
| Tennessee | $37,460 |
| Texas | $40,040 |
| Utah | $34,840 |
| Virginia | $45,140 |
| Washington | $47,730 |
| West Virginia | $43,770 |
| Wisconsin | $35,700 |
What Tools & Technology do Medical Appliance Technicians Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Medical Appliance Technicians:
- Microsoft Excel
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Gait analysis software
- Ohio Willow Wood OMEGA Tracer System
- Seattle Systems Shapemaker
- Vorum Research Corporation CANFIT-PLUS
How to Become a Medical Appliance Technician
Are there Medical Appliance Technicians education requirements?
How many years of work experience do I need?
Medical Appliance Technicians Sector
Medical Appliance Technicians work in the following industries:
Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Are you already one of the many Medical Appliance Technician in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
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