How to hire an orthopedic technician

How to hire an orthopedic technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step orthopedic technician hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an orthopedic technician job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new orthopedic technician
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an orthopedic technician do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an orthopedic technician, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An orthopedic technician's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, orthopedic technicians from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of orthopedic technicians.

   Type of Orthopedic Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Orthopedic Technician	Dental and ophthalmic laboratory technicians and medical appliance technicians construct, fit, or repair appliances and devices, including dentures, eyeglasses, and prosthetics.	$13-23
   Technician	Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with... Show more	$11-27
   Clinical Technician	A clinical technician is responsible for operating and maintaining clinical equipment, ensuring the proper sterilization of all laboratory tools and kits to avoid contamination during medical procedures. Clinical technicians assist the patients with their medical inquiries and needs, collecting samples for laboratory, and helping medical professionals on surgeries and other medical operations... Show more	$12-23

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Traction
   • Splints
   • Customer Service
   • Vital Signs
   • CPR
   • Surgical Procedures
   • Crutches
   • Orthopedic Devices
   • Orthopedic Procedures
   • Exam Rooms
   • Rehabilitation
   • Direct Patient Care
   • Compassion

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Assist with taking vital signs and CPR.
   • Instruct patients on how to adjust crutches, walkers and other aids.
   • Adjust crutches and canes to fit patient and instruct patients in walking with casts, braces, and crutches.
   • Provide on-call orthopedist and neurologist with surgical procedures, traction application, casting and splinting assistance.
   • Work closely with orthopedic surgeons and other physicians to ensure proper application and education of traction devices.
   • Create and implement rehabilitation protocols for foot and ankle injuries and post-surgical patients including custom casting and brace fabrication.

   More orthopedic technician duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the orthopedic technician job description is a good way to get more applicants. An orthopedic technician salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an orthopedic technician in Georgia may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level orthopedic technician. Additionally, an orthopedic technician with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average orthopedic technician salary

   $37,658yearly

   $18.10 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level orthopedic technician salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average orthopedic technician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$51,975	$25
   2	Alaska	$50,408	$24
   3	New York	$43,006	$21
   4	Arizona	$40,785	$20
   5	North Carolina	$37,882	$18
   6	Rhode Island	$37,696	$18
   7	Maryland	$37,378	$18
   8	Texas	$37,108	$18
   9	New Hampshire	$36,963	$18
   10	Florida	$36,526	$18
   11	Ohio	$36,017	$17
   12	Pennsylvania	$35,912	$17
   13	Michigan	$35,102	$17
   14	Kentucky	$34,551	$17
   15	Alabama	$33,963	$16
   16	Georgia	$33,914	$16
   17	Tennessee	$33,793	$16
   18	Colorado	$33,208	$16
   19	Missouri	$32,759	$16

   Average orthopedic technician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Nicklaus Children's Hospital	$66,654	$32.05	4
   2	UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital	$64,812	$31.16
   3	Boston Medical Center	$62,129	$29.87	4
   4	Rady Children's Hospital And Health Center	$62,051	$29.83	4
   5	Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center	$59,359	$28.54	2
   6	Stanford Health Care	$56,264	$27.05	4
   7	Cedars-Sinai	$55,919	$26.88	25
   8	GradyHealth	$55,402	$26.64
   9	Baptist Health Home Care	$53,561	$25.75	8
   10	Children's Hospital of Philadelphia	$53,556	$25.75	3
   11	Baptist Health	$52,899	$25.43	8
   12	University of California-Berkeley	$51,850	$24.93
   13	Sturdy Memorial Hospital	$51,786	$24.90	1
   14	Alameda Health System	$50,244	$24.16	2
   15	UC Santa Barbara	$50,108	$24.09
   16	County Of Los Angeles Public Library	$49,507	$23.80
   17	Akron Children's Hospital	$49,451	$23.77	4
   18	LCMC Health	$49,124	$23.62	1
   19	University of Maryland Medical System	$48,545	$23.34	12
   20	Henry Ford Health System	$48,423	$23.28	5

4. Writing an orthopedic technician job description

   A job description for an orthopedic technician role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an orthopedic technician job description:

   Orthopedic technician job description example

   Supports physician in all aspects of clinic; including fitting and applying pre-operative braces, crutches and other soft goods; helping prepare and apply casts and orthopedic appliances; and removing sutures, casts and splints. May also assist with orthopedic procedures, including wound care, aspirations, minor surgical procedures and fracture reductions; may give patients instructions concerning cast care and the use of orthopedic appliances; may prepare and set up traction as requested by the physician and can assess patients in traction, detect deficiencies in the equipment and make adjustments as needed; may clean and stock the cast and soft goods room, order special supplies or equipment, and coordinate collection of patient data.
   Required Skills/Qualifications/Training/Experience:
   
   * Need a strong knowledge of anatomy, physiology and medical terminology and expertise in the different materials and equipment involved in casts, splints and braces
   * Requires physical effort, including the abilities to sit or stand for an extended time and to push, pull, squat, twist, turn, lift, bend, stoop and reach overhead; must also work effectively under stress or emergency situations
   * Command of verbal and written English
   * Positive interpersonal communication skills
   * Good organizational skills
   
   Preferred Skills/Qualifications/Training/Experience:
   
   Educational Requirements:
   
   * Associate of Applied Science in Orthopedic Technology preferred
   
   License/Certification:
   
   * N/A
   
   Age Specific Criteria: Ability to effectively communicate to all age levels served within the scope of the position/assigned areas.
   
   Ability to Meet Job Performance Expectations: Must have the ability to perform essential functions of the position without posing a direct threat to the health and safety of themselves or other individuals in the workplace, with or without a reasonable accommodation.
   
   Sturdy Memorial Hospital is an equal employment opportunity employer. There is no discrimination because of race, color, creed, age, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status or disability.
   
   Please note: For the protection of the patients, employees, visitors and all who enter our facilities, Sturdy Memorial requires all employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, with limited exemptions, as a condition of employment.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right orthopedic technician for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your orthopedic technician job on Zippia to find and recruit orthopedic technician candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit orthopedic technicians, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new orthopedic technician

   Once you've decided on a perfect orthopedic technician candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new orthopedic technician first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an orthopedic technician?