What does an orthopedic technician do?
An Orthopedic Technician is a specialist in applying a cast to the limbs and other parts of the patient's body following an accident, orthopedic condition, or post-surgery. Duties include positioning limbs in ready positions for cast fitting, implementing appropriate casting for each case, applying braces, orthopedic splints, slings, and bandaging, and providing walking aids for patients. They are responsible for advising the patient on proper care for their casts and checking for infection signs after its removal. They are also responsible for ensuring the plaster room is neat and fully stocked with supplies and equipment. Orthopedic Technicians help in completing patient records and supervise the training of junior staff.
Orthopedic technician responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real orthopedic technician resumes:
- 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.
- Prepare patients for surgery and assist orthopedic surgeons in the operating room with complex surgical cases including total joint replacements.
- Set up of mills, presses, and CNC.
- Set up room for injections.
- Train to fit custom foot orthotics.
- Perform necessary blood draws and EKG's.
- Assist in Ortho surgical cases as needed.
- Instruct patient in proper care of cast, splints, fracture braces or use of an ambulatory aid.
- Improve patient comfort by quickly modifying braces, casts, and splints, which enhance patient care and facility efficiency SKILLS/CERTIFICATIONS
- Respond to traumas and codes.Executing CPR if need.
Orthopedic technician skills and personality traits
We calculated that 23% of Orthopedic Technicians are proficient in Patients, Traction, and Splints. They’re also known for soft skills such as Technical skills, Interpersonal skills, and Dexterity.
We break down the percentage of Orthopedic Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 23%
Prepared patients for surgery and assisted orthopedic surgeons in the operating room with complex surgical cases including total joint replacements.
- Traction, 16%
Provided on-call orthopedist and neurologist with surgical procedures, traction application, casting and splinting assistance.
- Splints, 10%
Improved patient comfort by quickly modifying braces, casts, and splints, which enhanced patient care and facility efficiency SKILLS/CERTIFICATIONS
- Customer Service, 4%
Assisted in providing the highest possible level of customer service and professionalism.
- Vital Signs, 3%
Assisted patients with ADL's, vital signs, intake and output, assisted patients with performing knee exercises
- CPR, 3%
Responded to traumas and codes.Executing CPR if needed.
Common skills that an orthopedic technician uses to do their job include "patients," "traction," and "splints." You can find details on the most important orthopedic technician responsibilities below.
Technical skills. One of the key soft skills for an orthopedic technician to have is technical skills. You can see how this relates to what orthopedic technicians do because "dental and ophthalmic laboratory technicians and medical appliance technicians need to understand how different tools and materials work." Additionally, an orthopedic technician resume shows how orthopedic technicians use technical skills: "gained knowledge in interpreting clinical and technical information to medical professionals and patients. "
Interpersonal skills. Another essential skill to perform orthopedic technician duties is interpersonal skills. Orthopedic technicians responsibilities require that "dental and ophthalmic laboratory technicians and medical appliance technicians must be able to work effectively with others." Orthopedic technicians also use interpersonal skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "exhibited professional interpersonal skills to patients during their treatment sessions. "
Dexterity. This is an important skill for orthopedic technicians to perform their duties. For an example of how orthopedic technician responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "dental and ophthalmic laboratory technicians and medical appliance technicians must work well with their hands to use precision instruments." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an orthopedic technician: "train employees on the use of mechanical lifts, applying traction, cast and removing cast. ".
Detail oriented. orthopedic technician responsibilities often require "detail oriented." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "dental and ophthalmic laboratory technicians and medical appliance technicians must follow work orders and prescriptions precisely." This resume example shows what orthopedic technicians do with detail oriented on a typical day: "oriented trauma splint training for 10 medical assistants to resolve triage care. "
The three companies that hire the most orthopedic technicians are:
- Kaiser Permanente21 orthopedic technicians jobs
- Highmark13 orthopedic technicians jobs
- Tenet Healthcare6 orthopedic technicians jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable orthopedic technician resume templates
Build a professional orthopedic technician resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your orthopedic technician resume.
Compare different orthopedic technicians
Orthopedic technician vs. Orthotics fitter
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. They are usually working with electricity or with technological advancements. Technicians may be assigned to do the construction of equipment or materials related to their field of study. They may also be assigned to conduct diagnostics and other maintenance activities to ensure that the equipment works properly. Technicians may also be required to conduct basic repairs in case of problems. It is important that technicians have good analytical skills and decision-making skills.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between orthopedic technicians and orthotics fitter. For instance, orthopedic technician responsibilities require skills such as "traction," "vital signs," "cpr," and "surgical procedures." Whereas a orthotics fitter is skilled in "patient care," "patient satisfaction," "orthoses," and "medical devices." This is part of what separates the two careers.
On average, orthotics fitters reach similar levels of education than orthopedic technicians. Orthotics fitters are 2.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.6% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Orthopedic technician vs. 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. They also maintain medical charts, update patients' information on the database, and administer patients' medication. A clinical technician must have excellent knowledge of the medical industry, as well as strictly following internal guidelines and safety procedures during operations.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, orthopedic technician responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "surgical procedures," "crutches," "orthopedic devices," and "orthopedic procedures." Meanwhile, a technician has duties that require skills in areas such as "patient care," "hand tools," "diagnosis," and "preventative maintenance." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Technicians earn a higher average salary than orthopedic technicians. But technicians earn the highest pay in the telecommunication industry, with an average salary of $46,660. Additionally, orthopedic technicians earn the highest salaries in the health care with average pay of $41,851 annually.technicians earn similar levels of education than orthopedic technicians in general. They're 3.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Orthopedic technician vs. Clinical technician
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, orthopedic technicians are more likely to have skills like "orthopedic devices," "orthopedic procedures," "provides administrative support," and "rehabilitation." But a clinical technician is more likely to have skills like "phlebotomy," "direct supervision," "specimen collection," and "catheter."
Clinical technicians earn the best pay in the government industry, where they command an average salary of $40,404. Orthopedic technicians earn the highest pay from the health care industry, with an average salary of $41,851.When it comes to education, clinical technicians tend to earn similar degree levels compared to orthopedic technicians. In fact, they're 2.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Orthopedic technician vs. Prosthetics technician
Types of orthopedic technician
Updated January 8, 2025
