Also called: O&P Technician
Builds artificial limbs and braces, increasingly using 3D scans and printing to make custom-fit devices.
You get a 3D scan of a patient's leg and print a custom socket for their prosthetic. Then you laminate, trim and assemble it with the knee and foot parts. Knowing it helps someone walk again makes the work feel personal.
BLS figures for medical appliance technicians; approximate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 1 year after high school. Certificate in orthotic and prosthetic technology or on-the-job training.
Ways in: Certification, On-the-job training, 2-year college. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Orthotics & Prosthetics Technology (certificate).
Growing about average (about 3% over 10 years).
Low risk for 10 years. Scanning and printing speed work, but custom fitting devices for real patients stays hands-on.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply at orthotic & prosthetic labs (ask for a trainee job) or through a staffing agency; new hires are trained on the job
Classes: Biology, Shop class, CAD class.
Official data: O*NET occupation 51-9082.
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.