# Medical Appliance Technicians

> Construct, maintain, or repair medical supportive devices such as braces, orthotics and prosthetic devices, joints, arch supports, and other surgical and medical appliances.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/medical-appliance-technicians
- SOC code: 51-9082.00
- Career family: Production
- Median annual pay: $48,030 (10th percentile $36,510, 90th percentile $75,740)
- Projected growth: As fast as average, +3.5%
- Openings a year: 1,300
- Typical entry education: High school diploma
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code RIC)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 100 |
| Investigative (I) | 49 |
| Artistic (A) | 10 |
| Social (S) | 37 |
| Enterprising (E) | 0 |
| Conventional (C) | 44 |

## What you'd do

- Getting Information (importance 93/100)
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials (importance 89/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 88/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 85/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 80/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 79/100)
- Thinking Creatively (importance 79/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 79/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 78/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 77/100)

## Skills

Critical Thinking, Quality Control Analysis, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Judgment and Decision Making, Troubleshooting, Monitoring, Operations Monitoring, Social Perceptiveness

## Knowledge

Mechanical, Production and Processing, Design, Administrative, Engineering and Technology, English Language, Administration and Management, Mathematics, Medicine and Dentistry, Customer and Personal Service

## Also called

Arch Support Maker, Arch Support Technician (Arch Support Tech), Artificial Eye Maker, Artificial Limb Maker, Artificial Plastic Eye Maker, Brace Maker, Certified Orthotist (CO), Certified Pedorthotist, Certified Prosthetist (CP), Hearing Aid Repair Technician (Hearing Aid Repair Tech)

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5123) (CIP 5123, 591 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Ithaca College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/ithaca-college-1313) | Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | not reported | $76,766 | $25,000 |
| [University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-pittsburgh-pittsburgh-campus-3019) | Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | $43,925 | $75,950 | $23,307 |
| [Worcester State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/worcester-state-university-3304) | Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | not reported | $74,386 | $25,500 |
| [Saint Francis University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/saint-francis-university-2301) | Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | not reported | $72,821 | $27,000 |
| [University of New Hampshire-Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-new-hampshire-main-campus-2980) | Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | not reported | $72,625 | $27,000 |
| [Boston University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/boston-university-286) | Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | $44,945 | $72,566 | $17,110 |
| [Duquesne University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/duquesne-university-839) | Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | not reported | $72,059 | $26,000 |
| [Saint Louis University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/saint-louis-university-2312) | Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | not reported | $70,351 | $23,244 |

## Related careers

- [Dental Laboratory Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/dental-laboratory-technicians): $49,610 median pay
- [Medical Equipment Repairers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/medical-equipment-repairers): $61,660 median pay
- [Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/ophthalmic-laboratory-technicians): $39,460 median pay
- [Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/structural-metal-fabricators-and-fitters): $51,330 median pay
- [Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/molders-shapers-and-casters-except-metal-and-plastic): $46,170 median pay
- [Surgical Technologists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/surgical-technologists): $64,650 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.