Medical appliance technicians combine their manual manufacturing skills with an interest in medicine to design, produce, maintain and fit a wide range of medical devices. These could consist of limb prosthetic devices, joint braces, orthotic supports and other medical or even surgical appliances with the purpose of medically supporting patients.
40hweek
Full Time
Standard business hours
A medical appliance technician will typically complete a 40-hour workweek during regular business hours. Depending on their employer, they may need to work evenings or weekends on occasion. They primarily work in office, laboratory or hospital environments with a small number of colleagues.
$24k
$39k
$63k
Annual salary estimates are based on percentile wage data collected through the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey of US workers.
High school
DVM / VMD degree
2years
No formal education is required to become a medical appliance technician. Indeed, you can learn the required skills through on-the-job training which typically lasts one to two years.
That said, you may opt complete a specialised associate’s degree programme at an accredited school, which can significantly boost your employment prospects.
Certification is optional but, again, can increase your chances of securing employment.
13%
2k
45%
You will typically begin your career as a helper in a laboratory. With experience, you can progress to more complex tasks. Many medical appliance technicians choose to specialise as an orthotist or prosthetist after additional formal education.