Life As a Medical Appliance Technician
Occupation 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.
What Do Medical Appliance Technicians Do On a Daily Basis?
- Drill and tap holes for rivets and glue, weld, bolt, or rivet parts together to form prosthetic or orthotic devices.
- Take patients’ body or limb measurements for use in device construction.
- Bend, form, and shape fabric or material to conform to prescribed contours of structural components.
- Service or repair machinery used in the fabrication of appliances.
- Fit appliances onto patients and make any necessary adjustments.
- Mix pigments to match patients’ skin coloring, according to formulas, and apply mixtures to orthotic or prosthetic devices.
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What Every Medical Appliance Technician Should Know
Medical Appliance Technicians state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
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
- Orthotic and Prosthetic Technician (O&P Technician)
- Prosthetics Technician
- Restoration Technician
- Orthopaedic Technologist
- Orthotic and Prosthetic Technician (O and P Technician)
Is There Job Demand for Medical Appliance Technicians?
In the United States, there were 15,000 jobs for Medical Appliance Technician in 2016. 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.
How Much Does a Medical Appliance Technician Make?
Medical Appliance Technicians make between $24,090 and $63,130 a year.
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 |
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 do I Become a Medical Appliance Technician?
What education is needed to be a Medical Appliance Technician?
How many years of work experience do I need?
Where Medical Appliance Technicians Work
The table below shows the approximate number of Medical Appliance Technicians employed by various industries.
Similar Careers
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:
Image Credit: Barbara E. Carver via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
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