Medical Appliance Technicians: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Production · SOC 51-9082 · O*NET 51-9082.00
Construct, maintain, or repair medical supportive devices such as braces, orthotics and prosthetic devices, joints, arch supports, and other surgical and medical appliances.
Medical Appliance Technicians fall under the Production category in the U.S. occupational classification. Medical Appliance Technicians earn a median salary of $47,060 per year, ranking in the top 71% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +3.7% job growth through 2034, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Entry into this field typically requires an apprenticeship, technical certification, or postsecondary training, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do medical appliance technicians earn?
The median annual wage for medical appliance technicians is $47,060. That puts medical appliance technicians at #577 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is around or below the U.S. median for individual workers, so career growth often depends on advancement into supervisory roles, specialization, or additional credentials. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $36,560 |
| 25th percentile | $40,300 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $47,060 |
| 75th percentile | $58,710 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $74,570 |
| Median hourly wage | $22.63/hr |
Is medical appliance technicians a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for medical appliance technicians is +3.7%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 12K positions in 2024 to 12K in 2034, a net change of 0K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.
What do medical appliance technicians do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working medical appliance technicians, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Read prescriptions or specifications to determine the type of product or device to be fabricated and the materials and tools required.
- 2.Construct or receive casts or impressions of patients' torsos or limbs for use as cutting and fabrication patterns.
- 3.Drill and tap holes for rivets, and glue, weld, bolt, or rivet parts together to form prosthetic or orthotic devices.
- 4.Bend, form, and shape fabric or material to conform to prescribed contours of structural components.
- 5.Repair, modify, or maintain medical supportive devices, such as artificial limbs, braces, or surgical supports, according to specifications.
- 6.Cover or pad metal or plastic structures or devices, using coverings such as rubber, leather, felt, plastic, or fiberglass.
- 7.Lay out and mark dimensions of parts, using templates and precision measuring instruments.
- 8.Make orthotic or prosthetic devices, using materials such as thermoplastic and thermosetting materials, metal alloys and leather, and hand or power tools.
Top skills for medical appliance technicians
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become medical appliance technician?
Medical Appliance Technicians typically enter the field through a formal apprenticeship, technical certification, or vocational training program — a strong fit for teens who prefer hands-on learning over traditional college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about medical appliance technicians
What is the median salary for medical appliance technicians?
The median annual salary for medical appliance technicians is $47,060 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is medical appliance technicians a growing career?
BLS projects +3.7% growth for medical appliance technicians from 2024 through 2034, which is average growth projected to grow at roughly the US average.
What education does my child need to become medical appliance technician?
The typical entry path requires an apprenticeship, technical certification, or postsecondary training, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to medical appliance technicians?
Related occupations within the Production category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.