Orthopedic technician vs prosthetics technician

The differences between orthopedic technicians and prosthetics 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 technician. Additionally, an orthopedic technician has an average salary of $37,658, which is higher than the $37,035 average annual salary of a prosthetics technician.

The top three skills for an orthopedic technician include patients, traction and splints. The most important skills for a prosthetics technician are patient care, prosthetic devices, and prosthetics.

Orthopedic technician vs prosthetics technician overview

	Orthopedic Technician	Prosthetics Technician
Yearly salary	$37,658	$37,035
Hourly rate	$18.10	$17.81
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	26,316	6,302
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	2

Orthopedic technician vs prosthetics technician salary

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

	Orthopedic Technician	Prosthetics Technician
Average salary	$37,658	$37,035
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $49,000	Between $25,000 And $54,000
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 technician education

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

	Orthopedic Technician	Prosthetics Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Nursing	Business
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Northwestern University

Orthopedic technician vs prosthetics technician demographics

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

	Orthopedic Technician	Prosthetics Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 56.2% Female, 43.8%	Male, 80.4% Female, 19.6%
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, 20.1% Asian, 8.6% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between orthopedic technician and prosthetics 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 technician example responsibilities.

Fabricate and repair custom orthotics and prostheses.
Fabricate and modify children and adult orthotics.
Fit, test, and evaluate devices on patients, and make adjustments for proper fit, function, and comfort.
Maintain company's public image and excellent reputation through tailor and consistent communication with patients, personnel, and the public.
Update warehouse items to include reorganizing, updating shelving units, restructuring pallets with categorizing supplies and equipment.
Conceive and implement a prosthetic project tracking system that maximize employee communication and increase efficiency, quality, and production.

Orthopedic technician vs prosthetics technician skills

Common orthopedic technician skills

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

Common prosthetics technician skills

Patient Care, 21%
Prosthetic Devices, 19%
Prosthetics, 16%
Patients, 16%
Orthotics, 10%
CAD, 9%

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Orthopedic Technician
Orthopedic Technician vs Prosthetics Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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