51
Medical Appliance Technicians is a notable career in the 51 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Medical Appliance Technicians against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
Education Administrators, All Other
11
Personal Service Managers, All Other
11
Managers, All Other
11
Buyers and Purchasing Agents
13
Business Operations Specialists, All Other
13
| soc | 51-9082 |
| title | Medical Appliance Technicians |
| onet code | 51-9082.00 |
| description | Construct, maintain, or repair medical supportive devices such as braces, orthotics and prosthetic devices, joints, arch supports, and other surgical and medical appliances. |
| job zone | 3 |
| major group | 51 |
| tot emp | 11,490 |
| a mean | 51,410 |
| a median | 47,060 |
| a pct10 | 36,560 |
| a pct25 | 40,300 |
| a pct75 | 58,710 |
| a pct90 | 74,570 |
| h mean | 24 |
| h median | 22 |
The day-to-day work of a medical appliance technicians typically centers on drill and tap holes for rivets, and glue, weld, bolt, or rivet parts together to form prosthetic or orthotic devices. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Active Listening, Quality Control Analysis, and Critical Thinking. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.59 out of 5 — highly rated for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working medical appliance technicians, the most common entry qualification is a Associate's Degree (or other 2 (26.3%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 28% of incumbents. Most workers enter without a four-year degree, making this a relatively accessible career path.
Median annual pay is highest in Nebraska at $84,070 and lowest in Oregon at $30,820 — a 2.7× spread. The top five states (Nebraska, West Virginia, Arizona, Colorado, New Hampshire) average $66,850. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | $84,070 | $69,870 | $39,530 | $97,740 | — |
| West Virginia | $73,580 | $71,420 | $37,920 | $108,940 | 50 |
| Arizona | $65,040 | $68,060 | $48,760 | $79,480 | 410 |
| Colorado | $58,390 | $60,030 | $42,680 | $81,540 | 310 |
| New Hampshire | $53,170 | $60,160 | $45,140 | $76,960 | 90 |
| Oklahoma | $52,520 | $53,530 | $38,480 | $63,550 | 120 |
| Tennessee | $52,130 | $54,610 | $26,240 | $80,920 | 330 |
| Massachusetts | $52,000 | $55,250 | $43,570 | $75,890 | 320 |
| Idaho | $51,530 | $55,070 | $42,940 | $74,840 | 30 |
| New Mexico | $51,480 | $46,900 | $29,840 | $68,850 | 30 |
| Pennsylvania | $51,460 | $57,760 | $39,860 | $96,700 | 380 |
| Michigan | $50,950 | $58,170 | $40,810 | $86,760 | 290 |
| New Jersey | $50,690 | $50,260 | $39,370 | $61,420 | 410 |
| Texas | $50,430 | $50,850 | $31,210 | $75,100 | 360 |
| Virginia | $50,240 | $52,530 | $44,460 | $62,790 | 130 |
| California | $47,380 | $53,460 | $37,120 | $80,100 | 1,400 |
| New York | $47,310 | $48,870 | $35,250 | $66,790 | 1,130 |
| Iowa | $47,290 | $47,100 | $31,450 | $62,150 | 120 |
| Mississippi | $46,990 | $46,620 | $33,690 | $67,500 | 100 |
| North Carolina | $46,750 | $47,520 | $36,660 | $59,100 | 410 |
| Ohio | $46,740 | $52,330 | $38,280 | $74,630 | 280 |
| South Carolina | $46,710 | $51,570 | $36,130 | $75,250 | 170 |
| Washington | $46,550 | $50,400 | $41,690 | $64,890 | 420 |
| Missouri | $46,390 | $45,690 | $35,900 | $63,050 | 280 |
| Rhode Island | $46,090 | $49,010 | $38,720 | $61,490 | 190 |
| Connecticut | $45,870 | $52,710 | $39,800 | $78,070 | 200 |
| Kansas | $45,290 | $47,070 | $37,010 | $61,790 | — |
| Maryland | $45,290 | $50,910 | $38,530 | $66,660 | 260 |
| Arkansas | $45,140 | $46,650 | $38,210 | $59,300 | 40 |
| Florida | $44,920 | $47,860 | $35,830 | $63,430 | 1,370 |
| Wisconsin | $42,060 | $44,500 | $34,970 | $59,810 | 200 |
| Nevada | $41,600 | $44,010 | $30,680 | $56,440 | 110 |
| Utah | $40,600 | $43,320 | $34,650 | $52,150 | 210 |
| Illinois | $40,230 | $46,400 | $38,210 | $59,920 | 720 |
| South Dakota | $39,370 | $43,210 | $37,250 | $51,290 | 40 |
| Indiana | $39,330 | $47,480 | $28,210 | $96,540 | 240 |
| Georgia | $36,300 | $44,610 | $31,410 | $63,790 | 50 |
| Oregon | $30,820 | $44,550 | $27,740 | $73,660 | 40 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for medical appliance technicians. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Arch Support Maker or Arch Support Technician frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Medical Appliance Technicians compares to others in the 51 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Medical Appliance Technicians
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.