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Orthotist / Prosthetist

$78,310
median pay per year
full range coming in the next data update

What the job actually is

Design, fit, and adjust braces and artificial limbs, measuring patients and refining devices for comfort and function.

Where you work

Clinics and fabrication labs

The hours

Full-time, daytime

By the numbers

May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$78,310
per year
What most earn
range coming soon
Openings a year
~900
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+13%
Much faster than average
Working in the U.S.
10,100
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

How you get in

Typical starting education

Master's degree

Training path: Master's degree plus residency.

License or certification

Board certification and, in many states, a license are required.

What it takes

Patient fittingFine handworkProblem solvingEmpathy

The honest take

Builds the braces and artificial limbs that restore people's movement — steady demand for a specialized master's path.

Standard Occupational Classification 29-2091. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.