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Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering

Types of Degrees Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering Majors Are Earning

Those studying Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	108

What Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering Majors Need to Know

Programs in Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Design — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Vorum Research Corporation CANFIT-PLUS	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Ohio Willow Wood OMEGA Tracer System	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Seattle Systems Shapemaker	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Gait analysis software	Medical software	—
Computer aided manufacturing CAM software	Computer aided manufacturing CAM software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering graduates include:

• Orthotic Fitter
• LPO (Licensed Prosthetist Orthotist)
• Board Orthotist
• Licensed Orthotist
• Prosthetic Clinician
• Orthotics Assistant
• Prosthetic Practitioner
• Orthotic and Prosthetic Technician (Orthotic and Prosthetic Tech)
• Orthotist and Prosthetist
• Orthotist Clinician
• Certified Pedorthist
• American Board Certified Orthotist (ABC Orthotist)
• Orthotist
• Artificial Limb Fitter
• Orthotic Clinician

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	59.7%
Bachelor’s degree	18.9%
Doctoral degree	5.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	5.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.0%
Postsecondary certificate	1.8%
Some college courses	1.8%
Post-doctoral training	0.7%
Less than a high school diploma	0.6%
First professional degree	0.6%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 94.4% of Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	102	94.4%
Men	6	5.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	94	87.0%
Asian	3	2.8%
Hispanic or Latino	5	4.6%
Black or African American	3	2.8%
Two or More Races	2	1.9%
Race Unknown	1	0.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$67,332
4 years	$70,102
5 years	$75,167

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $75,167 — roughly 12% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Assistive Rehabilitation Engineering graduates earn a median of $70,102 four years after completion — roughly 84% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions	51.23
Animal-Assisted Therapy	51.2313
Art Therapy/Therapist	51.2301
Dance Therapy/Therapist	51.2302
Drama Therapy/Therapist	51.2315
Horticulture Therapy/Therapist	51.2316
Kinesiotherapy/Kinesiotherapist	51.2311
Music Therapy/Therapist	51.2305
Occupational Therapy/Therapist	51.2306
Orthotist/Prosthetist	51.2307
Physical Therapy/Therapist	51.2308
Play Therapy/Therapist	51.2317

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.