Also called: Cast Technician, Ortho Tech
Applies casts, splints, and braces and assists orthopedic surgeons in clinic.
Wraps a kid's broken arm in bright blue fiberglass, cuts off old casts with a buzzing saw that can't cut skin, fits knee braces, and helps the surgeon set fractures.
Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 1 year after high school. On-the-job training or a short certificate program; national certification (OTC) available.
Ways in: Certification, On-the-job training, Military. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Orthopedic Technology (certificate), Kinesiology.
Growing about average. Follows orthopedic demand; steady.
Low risk for 10 years. Casting, splinting and bracing are pure hands-on work in a busy clinic, with little for AI or robots to take over.
Classes: Anatomy & physiology, Health science CTE, Art or sculpture, Biology.
Official data: O*NET occupation 29-2099.
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.