Careers / Medical Appliance Technicians
Medical Appliance Technicians — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$48,030
United States, 2025
Employment
11,280
United States, 2025
Typical education
Not recorded
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Construct, maintain, or repair medical supportive devices such as braces, orthotics and prosthetic devices, joints, arch supports, and other surgical and medical appliances.
- O*NET code
- 51-9082.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- None
Typical tasks
- Test medical supportive devices for proper alignment, movement, or biomechanical stability, using meters and alignment fixtures.
- 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.
- Drill and tap holes for rivets, and glue, weld, bolt, or rivet parts together to form prosthetic or orthotic devices.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$36,510
25th percentile
$42,210
75th percentile
$60,580
90th percentile
$75,740
Most important skills
- Quality Control Analysis3.8
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Reading Comprehension3.6
- Speaking3.6
- Active Listening3.6
- Judgment and Decision Making3.4
- Troubleshooting3.4
- Operations Monitoring3.3
- Monitoring3.3
- Social Perceptiveness3.3
- Active Learning3.1
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 16 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
16
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.8 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.6 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Active Listening | 3.6 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Speaking | 3.6 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.3 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.4 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Troubleshooting | 3.4 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.3 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Service Orientation | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Operation and Control | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Repairing | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $74,510
Compare with Medical Appliance TechniciansSupplemental
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Compare with Medical Appliance TechniciansSupplemental
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National median $81,110
Compare with Medical Appliance TechniciansHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix, AZ | $81,600 | 190 | 2025 |
| AZ | $72,760 | 300 | 2025 |
| Washington, DC | $61,890 | 80 | 2025 |
| PA | $60,920 | 200 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $59,910 | 250 | 2025 |
| MA | $59,810 | — | 2025 |
| CO | $59,560 | — | 2025 |
| Richmond, VA | $58,210 | 60 | 2025 |
| Charlotte, NC | $57,880 | 130 | 2025 |
| Raleigh, NC | $56,490 | 100 | 2025 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $56,390 | 60 | 2025 |
| VA | $56,260 | 260 | 2025 |
| Denver, CO | $55,720 | — | 2025 |
| Houston, TX | $55,680 | 50 | 2025 |
| Riverside, CA | $55,560 | 100 | 2025 |
| NH | $54,980 | 40 | 2025 |
| NE | $54,770 | 170 | 2025 |
| NC | $54,650 | 600 | 2025 |
| CT | $54,430 | 130 | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $53,950 | 420 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Medical Appliance Technicians to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.