Life As a Medical Appliance Technician
Career Description Construct, fit, maintain, or repair medical supportive devices, such as braces, orthotics and prosthetic devices, joints, arch supports, and other surgical and medical appliances.
A Day in the Life of a Medical Appliance Technician
- Repair, modify, or maintain medical supportive devices, such as artificial limbs, braces, or surgical supports, according to specifications.
- Drill and tap holes for rivets and glue, weld, bolt, or rivet parts together to form prosthetic or orthotic devices.
- Service or repair machinery used in the fabrication of appliances.
- Cover or pad metal or plastic structures or devices, using coverings such as rubber, leather, felt, plastic, or fiberglass.
- Take patients’ body or limb measurements for use in device construction.
- Instruct patients in use of prosthetic or orthotic devices.
What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Medical Appliance Technician?
These are the skills Medical Appliance Technicians say are the most useful in their careers:
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.
Types of Medical Appliance Technician
- Arch-Support Maker
- Designer
- Arch Support Maker
- Prosthetics Lab Technician
- Orthotic and Prosthetic Technician (O and P Technician)
What Kind of Medical Appliance Technician Job Opportunities Are There?
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 Average 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.
How much do Medical Appliance Technicians make 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 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Medical Appliance Technicians
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Medical Appliance Technicians may use on a daily basis:
- 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 Long Does it Take to Become a Medical Appliance Technician?
Where do Medical Appliance Technicians Work?
The table below shows the approximate number of Medical Appliance Technicians employed by various industries.
You May Also Be Interested In…
Those who work as a Medical Appliance Technician sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
References:
Image Credit: Barbara E. Carver via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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