What is a Medical Appliance Technician?
Job Description & Duties Construct, fit, maintain, or repair medical supportive devices, such as braces, orthotics and prosthetic devices, joints, arch supports, and other surgical and medical appliances.
What Do Medical Appliance Technicians Do On a Daily Basis?
- Fit appliances onto patients and make any necessary adjustments.
- Lay out and mark dimensions of parts, using templates and precision measuring instruments.
- Instruct patients in use of prosthetic or orthotic devices.
- Test medical supportive devices for proper alignment, movement, or biomechanical stability, using meters and alignment fixtures.
- Read prescriptions or specifications to determine the type of product or device to be fabricated and the materials and tools that will be required.
- Construct or receive casts or impressions of patients' torsos or limbs for use as cutting and fabrication patterns.
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Things a Medical Appliance Technician Should Know How to Do
Below is a list of the skills most Medical Appliance Technicians say are important on the job.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Fabrication Technician
- Arch Support Technician
- Orthotic Technician
- Artificial Limb Maker
- Orthopedic Technician
Job Outlook for Medical Appliance Technicians
There were about 15,000 jobs for Medical Appliance Technician in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 13.3% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 2,000 new jobs for Medical Appliance Technician by 2026. There will be an estimated 2,000 positions for Medical Appliance Technician per year.
The states with the most job growth for Medical Appliance Technician are Utah, Tennessee, and Delaware. Watch out if you plan on working in Oklahoma, North Dakota, or Nebraska. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Medical Appliance Technician Salary
The salary for Medical Appliance Technicians ranges between about $24,090 and $63,130 a year.
Medical Appliance Technicians who work in Colorado, Alaska, or Massachusetts, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Medical Appliance Technicians in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $47,070 |
| Alaska | $50,320 |
| Arizona | $40,770 |
| Arkansas | $35,330 |
| California | $48,370 |
| Colorado | $52,060 |
| Connecticut | $42,740 |
| Delaware | $40,690 |
| Florida | $42,720 |
| Georgia | $39,190 |
| Illinois | $51,390 |
| Indiana | $35,050 |
| Iowa | $39,990 |
| Kansas | $35,190 |
| Kentucky | $37,620 |
| Louisiana | $30,020 |
| Maine | $44,140 |
| Maryland | $44,760 |
| Massachusetts | $48,230 |
| Michigan | $46,740 |
| Minnesota | $44,590 |
| Mississippi | $38,400 |
| Missouri | $36,820 |
| Nevada | $40,960 |
| New Hampshire | $46,200 |
| New Jersey | $41,510 |
| New Mexico | $39,250 |
| New York | $41,580 |
| North Carolina | $39,880 |
| Ohio | $37,340 |
| Oklahoma | $36,060 |
| Oregon | $35,130 |
| Pennsylvania | $41,620 |
| Rhode Island | $46,050 |
| South Carolina | $36,980 |
| Tennessee | $37,460 |
| Texas | $40,040 |
| Utah | $34,840 |
| Virginia | $45,140 |
| Washington | $47,730 |
| West Virginia | $43,770 |
| Wisconsin | $35,700 |
What Tools & Technology do Medical Appliance Technicians Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Medical Appliance Technicians may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Gait analysis software
- Ohio Willow Wood OMEGA Tracer System
- Seattle Systems Shapemaker
- Vorum Research Corporation CANFIT-PLUS
Becoming a Medical Appliance Technician
What education or degrees do I need to become a Medical Appliance Technician?
How Long Does it Take to Become a Medical Appliance Technician?
Where do Medical Appliance Technicians Work?
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Similar Careers
Are you already one of the many Medical Appliance Technician in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
Image Credit: Barbara E. Carver via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
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