Orthotic technician vs prosthetics fabrication technician

The differences between orthotic 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 orthotic technician and a prosthetics fabrication technician. Additionally, a prosthetics fabrication technician has an average salary of $43,228, which is higher than the $37,091 average annual salary of an orthotic technician.

Orthotic technician vs prosthetics fabrication technician overview

	Orthotic Technician	Prosthetics Fabrication Technician
Yearly salary	$37,091	$43,228
Hourly rate	$17.83	$20.78
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	5,562	6,204
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 31%	Associate Degree, 100%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	2

Orthotic technician vs prosthetics fabrication technician salary

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

	Orthotic Technician	Prosthetics Fabrication Technician
Average salary	$37,091	$43,228
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $57,000	Between $28,000 And $65,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between orthotic technician and prosthetics fabrication technician education

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

	Orthotic Technician	Prosthetics Fabrication Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 31%	Associate Degree, 100%
Most common major	Business	Computer Programming
Most common college	Duke University	Northwestern University

Orthotic technician vs prosthetics fabrication technician demographics

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

	Orthotic Technician	Prosthetics Fabrication Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 82.4% Female, 17.6%	Male, 80.0% Female, 20.0%
Race ratio	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%	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 orthotic technician and prosthetics fabrication technician duties and responsibilities

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.

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

Orthotic technician vs prosthetics fabrication technician skills

Common orthotic technician skills

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

Common prosthetics fabrication technician skills

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Orthotic Technician
Orthotic Technician vs Prosthetics Fabrication Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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