How to hire an orthotist/prosthetist

How to hire an orthotist/prosthetist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step orthotist/prosthetist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an orthotist/prosthetist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new orthotist/prosthetist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an orthotist/prosthetist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your orthotist/prosthetist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an orthotist/prosthetist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An orthotist/prosthetist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, orthotist/prosthetists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of orthotist/prosthetist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Orthotist/Prosthetist	Description	Hourly rate
   Orthotist/Prosthetist	Orthotists and prosthetists design and fabricate medical supportive devices and measure and fit patients for them. These devices include artificial limbs (arms, hands, legs, and feet), braces, and other medical or surgical devices.	$11-52

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Rehabilitation
   • ABC
   • Prosthetics
   • Orthotics
   • Patients Needs
   • Direct Patient Care
   • Amputation

   Responsibilities:

   • Research products to ensure cost efficient materials are used for the most cost effective products build and make for patients.
   • Provide comprehensive orthotic and prosthetic services.
   • Educate and advocate for prosthetic patients post-amputation and pre-prosthetic care.
   • Consult with physicians and therapists to evaluate patients, identify needs and establish specifications for prosthetic/orthotic devices.
   • Assist inpatient, outpatient and pediatric physical therapists in determining proper orthotic devices.
   • Specialize in care of both idiopathic and neuromuscular scoliosis.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your orthotist/prosthetist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An orthotist/prosthetist salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, orthotist/prosthetists' average salary in oklahoma is 51% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level orthotist/prosthetists earn 78% less than senior-level orthotist/prosthetists.
   • Certifications. An orthotist/prosthetist with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an orthotist/prosthetist's salary.

   Average orthotist/prosthetist salary

   $51,969yearly

   $24.99 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level orthotist/prosthetist salary

   $24,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average orthotist/prosthetist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$72,628	$35
   2	Nevada	$63,279	$30
   3	New Jersey	$62,570	$30
   4	Pennsylvania	$62,569	$30
   5	New York	$56,400	$27
   6	Arizona	$53,713	$26
   7	Florida	$53,407	$26
   8	Michigan	$51,779	$25
   9	Ohio	$51,393	$25
   10	Delaware	$50,648	$24
   11	Wisconsin	$50,640	$24
   12	Indiana	$49,567	$24
   13	North Carolina	$47,795	$23
   14	Texas	$46,087	$22
   15	Illinois	$45,346	$22
   16	Missouri	$43,635	$21
   17	Nebraska	$41,410	$20
   18	Colorado	$40,792	$20
   19	Tennessee	$37,003	$18

   Average orthotist/prosthetist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Arkansas Children's Hospital	$198,507	$95.44	2
   2	Sanford Health	$96,540	$46.41	10
   3	Shriners Hospitals for Children	$86,530	$41.60
   4	Scottish Rite for Children	$81,119	$39.00
   5	Seattle Children's Healthcare System	$57,717	$27.75
   6	UNC Health Care	$56,630	$27.23	2
   7	Comprehensive Prosthetics & Orthotics	$53,777	$25.85	10
   8	United Orthopedic	$52,891	$25.43
   9	Wright & Filippis	$50,201	$24.14
   10	Hanger	$44,960	$21.62	45
   11	Select Medical	$41,922	$20.15	5
   12	Human Technologies	$28,190	$13.55

4. Writing an orthotist/prosthetist job description

   An orthotist/prosthetist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an orthotist/prosthetist job description:

   Orthotist/prosthetist job description example

   Day Shift
   
   **Time Type:**
   
   Full time
   
   **Department:**
   
   CC014295 Prosthetic-Orthotic
   
   **Summary:**
   
   As the practitioner responsible for all patient care, the certified/licensed clinician either independently provides or supervises the provision of comprehensive orthotic and prosthetic care. This includes patient assessment, formulation, implementation, and follow-up of a treatment plan, and practice management. In addition, the practitioner maintains professional responsibilities which promote and assure the overall welfare of the patient and integrity of the orthotic prosthetic profession.
   
   **Required Education:**
   
   Bachelor's Degree
   
   **Recommended Education:**
   
   Master's Degree
   
   **Required Work Experience:**
   
   Related Field - 2 years of experience
   
   **Recommended Work Experience:**
   
   Orthotics - 2 years Pediatric Orthotics
   
   **Required Certifications:**
   
   Orthotist (Orthotist) - The American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics, Inc., Orthotist License - Arkansas Department of Health, Prosthetist Certification - The American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics, Inc. (ABC), Prosthetist License - Arkansas Department of Health
   
   **Recommended Certifications:**
   
   **Description**
   
   1. Collects pertinent information and perform physical assessments to determine appropriate
   
   orthotic or prosthetic device needs based on a valid prescription.
   
   2. Identifies physical and biomechanical needs of the patient and provides informational and safety education to the patient and/or responsible caregivers.
   
   3. Maintains patient load in keeping with AC requirements.
   
   4. Participates as an Orthotist in the interdisciplinary clinic team approach.
   
   5. Provides direct patient care for the provision of custom and prefabricated orthoses and
   
   prostheses by casting, measurement, digital image acquisition, modification, fitting and follow up.
   
   6. Ensures devices are provided in a timely manner and documents production/order tracking using the department spreadsheet.
   
   7. Provides all relevant documentation to patient care necessary for purposes of continuity within and between disciplines to the satisfaction of insurance carriers, Medicaid and CMS.
   
   8. Complies with all regulations and hospital policies regarding documentation of patient related encounters.
   
   9. Collaborates utilizing patient referral systems fostering relationships with all disciplines of patient care both within and outside of AC.
   
   10. Performs other related duties as assigned.
   
   Arkansas Children's provides equal employment opportunity to all persons without regard to age, race, color, religion, national origin or citizenship status, disability, military status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy or any other category protected by federal, state and local laws. Further, Arkansas Children's will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right orthotist/prosthetist for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your orthotist/prosthetist job on Zippia to find and attract quality orthotist/prosthetist candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit orthotist/prosthetists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new orthotist/prosthetist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the orthotist/prosthetist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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