Also called: CPO, Prosthetist
Designs, builds and fits artificial limbs and braces for patients.
You scan the leg of a veteran who lost his foot, design a custom socket on the computer, and fit a new carbon-fiber running blade. You watch him walk and adjust the alignment until his stride looks natural.
Approximate May 2024 figures.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 7 years after high school. Master's in orthotics and prosthetics plus a residency and board certification.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school, Certification. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Orthotics & Prosthetics, Biomedical Engineering, Kinesiology.
Growing faster than average. An aging population needs more braces and limbs.
Low risk for 10 years. 3D scanning and AI design speed fittings; casting, adjusting and caring for each patient stay human.
Classes: Anatomy, Biology, Art or sculpture, Physics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 29-2091.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.