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Prosthetist vs orthotic/prosthetic practitioner

The differences between prosthetists and orthotic/prosthetic practitioners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a prosthetist and an orthotic/prosthetic practitioner. Additionally, an orthotic/prosthetic practitioner has an average salary of $216,637, which is higher than the $51,852 average annual salary of a prosthetist.

The top three skills for a prosthetist include prosthetics, orthotics and treatment plan. The most important skills for an orthotic/prosthetic practitioner are prosthetics, orthotics, and ABC.

Prosthetist vs orthotic/prosthetic practitioner overview

ProsthetistOrthotic/Prosthetic Practitioner
Yearly salary$51,852$216,637
Hourly rate$24.93$104.15
Growth rate17%17%
Number of jobs29820,149
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age4343
Years of experience22

Prosthetist vs orthotic/prosthetic practitioner salary

Prosthetists and orthotic/prosthetic practitioners have different pay scales, as shown below.

ProsthetistOrthotic/Prosthetic Practitioner
Average salary$51,852$216,637
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $109,000Between $129,000 And $361,000
Highest paying CityLas Vegas, NV-
Highest paying stateAlaska-
Best paying companyTenet Healthcare-
Best paying industry--

Differences between prosthetist and orthotic/prosthetic practitioner education

There are a few differences between a prosthetist and an orthotic/prosthetic practitioner in terms of educational background:

ProsthetistOrthotic/Prosthetic Practitioner
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common majorHealth Sciences And ServicesBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillUniversity of Southern California

Prosthetist vs orthotic/prosthetic practitioner demographics

Here are the differences between prosthetists' and orthotic/prosthetic practitioners' demographics:

ProsthetistOrthotic/Prosthetic Practitioner
Average age4343
Gender ratioMale, 74.4% Female, 25.6%Male, 58.3% Female, 41.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 14.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.5% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 14.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.5% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between prosthetist and orthotic/prosthetic practitioner duties and responsibilities

Prosthetist example responsibilities.

  • Gain extensive knowledge of hospital orthotics.
  • Obtain insurance authorizations when necessary and bill insurance companies using emr software.
  • Design and application of cosmetic prosthetic devices.
  • Work closely with PTs, OTs and SLPs.

Orthotic/prosthetic practitioner example responsibilities.

  • Lead quality assessment of client's QA / QC processes, organizations, and test environments.
  • Execute the development from paper reporting to all digital using SafetyChain technology for all SQF relate documentation.
  • Work closely with PTs, OTs and SLPs.

Prosthetist vs orthotic/prosthetic practitioner skills

Common prosthetist skills
  • Prosthetics, 74%
  • Orthotics, 19%
  • Treatment Plan, 7%
Common orthotic/prosthetic practitioner skills
  • Prosthetics, 44%
  • Orthotics, 38%
  • ABC, 19%

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