Orthopedic technician vs orthotic technician

The differences between orthopedic technicians and orthotic technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an orthopedic technician and an orthotic technician. Additionally, an orthopedic technician has an average salary of $37,658, which is higher than the $37,091 average annual salary of an orthotic technician.

The top three skills for an orthopedic technician include patients, traction and splints. The most important skills for an orthotic technician are patients, orthotics, and grinders.

Orthopedic technician vs orthotic technician overview

	Orthopedic Technician	Orthotic Technician
Yearly salary	$37,658	$37,091
Hourly rate	$18.10	$17.83
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	26,316	5,562
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Associate Degree, 31%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	2

Orthopedic technician vs orthotic technician salary

Orthopedic technicians and orthotic technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Orthopedic Technician	Orthotic Technician
Average salary	$37,658	$37,091
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $49,000	Between $23,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City	Burlingame, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	Nicklaus Children's Hospital	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between orthopedic technician and orthotic technician education

There are a few differences between an orthopedic technician and an orthotic technician in terms of educational background:

	Orthopedic Technician	Orthotic Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Associate Degree, 31%
Most common major	Nursing	Business
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Duke University

Orthopedic technician vs orthotic technician demographics

Here are the differences between orthopedic technicians' and orthotic technicians' demographics:

	Orthopedic Technician	Orthotic Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 56.2% Female, 43.8%	Male, 82.4% Female, 17.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 21.0% Asian, 9.3% White, 56.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 9.4% White, 58.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between orthopedic technician and orthotic technician duties and responsibilities

Orthopedic technician example 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.

Orthotic technician example responsibilities.

Manage inventory for all orthotic and prosthetic products and supplies.
Supervise, manage, and train new technicians in the fabrication of foot orthotics and foot inserts.
Work within EMR systems to maintain patient records.
Apply casts and splints make of plaster, fiberglass.
Fabricate prostheses, inserts, AFO's, and other custom-mold braces.
Assist in the reduction of fractures and in pin placement for traction set-ups.

Orthopedic technician vs orthotic technician skills

Common orthopedic technician skills

Patients, 23%
Traction, 16%
Splints, 10%
Customer Service, 4%
Vital Signs, 3%
CPR, 3%

Common orthotic technician skills

Patients, 32%
Orthotics, 27%
Grinders, 9%
Prosthetic Devices, 8%
Prosthetics, 7%
Vacuum Forming, 5%

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Orthopedic Technician vs Orthotic Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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