Orthopedic technician vs prosthetics fabrication technician

The differences between orthopedic technicians and prosthetics fabrication 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 a prosthetics fabrication technician. Additionally, a prosthetics fabrication technician has an average salary of $43,228, which is higher than the $37,658 average annual salary of an orthopedic technician.

Orthopedic technician vs prosthetics fabrication technician overview

	Orthopedic Technician	Prosthetics Fabrication Technician
Yearly salary	$37,658	$43,228
Hourly rate	$18.10	$20.78
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	26,316	6,204
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Associate Degree, 100%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	2

Orthopedic technician vs prosthetics fabrication technician salary

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

	Orthopedic Technician	Prosthetics Fabrication Technician
Average salary	$37,658	$43,228
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $49,000	Between $28,000 And $65,000
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 prosthetics fabrication technician education

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

	Orthopedic Technician	Prosthetics Fabrication Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Associate Degree, 100%
Most common major	Nursing	Computer Programming
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Northwestern University

Orthopedic technician vs prosthetics fabrication technician demographics

Here are the differences between orthopedic technicians' and prosthetics fabrication technicians' demographics:

	Orthopedic Technician	Prosthetics Fabrication Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 56.2% Female, 43.8%	Male, 80.0% Female, 20.0%
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, 5.2% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 10.0% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between orthopedic technician and prosthetics fabrication 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.

Prosthetics fabrication technician example responsibilities.

Obtain insurance authorizations for outpatient and inpatient rehabilitation sessions adhering to all insurance guidelines and hospital protocol.
Chart and post patient reports to PACS

Orthopedic technician vs prosthetics fabrication technician skills

Common orthopedic technician skills

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

Common prosthetics fabrication technician skills

Orthopedic Technician vs. similar jobs

Orthopedic Technician related careers

Orthopedic Technician related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Production and Manufacturing Industry
Orthopedic Technician
Orthopedic Technician vs Prosthetics Fabrication Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse production and manufacturing jobs