Careers / Orthotists and Prosthetists
Orthotists and Prosthetists — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
Opens your browser print dialog — choose “Save as PDF”.
Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$81,110
United States, 2025
Employment
9,390
United States, 2025
Typical education
Master's Degree
Job Zone 5
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Design, measure, fit, and adapt orthopedic braces, appliances or prostheses, such as limbs or facial parts for patients with disabling conditions.
- O*NET code
- 29-2091.00
- Job zone
- 5
- Experience required
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Typical tasks
- Fit, test, and evaluate devices on patients, and make adjustments for proper fit, function, and comfort.
- Instruct patients in the use and care of orthoses and prostheses.
- Maintain patients' records.
- Examine, interview, and measure patients to determine their appliance needs and to identify factors that could affect appliance fit.
- Select materials and components to be used, based on device design.
- Design orthopedic and prosthetic devices, based on physicians' prescriptions and examination and measurement of patients.
- Repair, rebuild, and modify prosthetic and orthopedic appliances.
- Construct and fabricate appliances, or supervise others constructing the appliances.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$46,350
25th percentile
$61,290
75th percentile
$99,990
90th percentile
$119,810
Most important skills
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Writing4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Complex Problem Solving3.8
- Service Orientation3.8
- Active Learning3.8
- Social Perceptiveness3.8
- Monitoring3.4
- Coordination3.3
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
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 20 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
20
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 | 4.4 | Not selected | 4.4 |
| Writing | 4.0 | 4.3 | Not selected | 4.3 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Speaking | 4.0 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Active Learning | 3.8 | 4.3 | Not selected | 4.3 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.8 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Service Orientation | 3.8 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.8 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Monitoring | 3.4 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Coordination | 3.3 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Operations Analysis | 3.1 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.1 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Instructing | 3.1 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Mathematics | 3.0 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Time Management | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Persuasion | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Operations Monitoring | 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 $39,160
Compare with Orthotists and ProsthetistsSupplemental
National median $44,470
Compare with Orthotists and ProsthetistsSupplemental
National median $135,880
Compare with Orthotists and ProsthetistsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| NJ | $118,950 | 240 | 2025 |
| San Jose, CA | $108,110 | 50 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $107,520 | 320 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $106,990 | 110 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $105,420 | 130 | 2025 |
| WA | $105,240 | 250 | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $103,070 | 280 | 2025 |
| San Diego, CA | $101,230 | 70 | 2025 |
| Roanoke, VA | $98,380 | 50 | 2025 |
| Raleigh, NC | $98,320 | 60 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $97,290 | 130 | 2025 |
| UT | $96,530 | 70 | 2025 |
| Iowa City, IA | $95,290 | 40 | 2025 |
| MD | $95,030 | 90 | 2025 |
| Baltimore, MD | $95,030 | 60 | 2025 |
| OR | $93,790 | 120 | 2025 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $93,600 | 200 | 2025 |
| RI | $93,350 | — | 2025 |
| VA | $92,930 | 340 | 2025 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $92,490 | 30 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Orthotists and Prosthetists 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.