Statewide occupation search

Sort your search results or select and compare details of two occupations. Find out if an occupation is in demand or not in demand in your local area, at Learn about an occupation.

Statewide occupation search

Orthotists and Prosthetists

It's a bright outlook for

This career will grow rapidly in the next few years.

Learn more about what they do.

Design, measure, fit, and adapt orthopedic braces, appliances or prostheses, such as limbs or facial parts for patients with disabling conditions.

Related: Audiologists Medical Appliance Technicians Orthopedic Surgeons Paramedics Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Physicians

Industries: Health & Counseling Manufacturing Retail Government

Summary
Details

Select materials and components to be used, based on device design.
Design orthopedic and prosthetic devices, based on physicians' prescriptions and examination and measurement of patients.
Train and supervise support staff, such as orthopedic and prosthetic assistants and technicians.
Maintain patients' records.
Repair, rebuild, and modify prosthetic and orthopedic appliances.
Train and supervise support staff, such as orthopedic and prosthetic assistants and technicians.
Repair, rebuild, and modify prosthetic and orthopedic appliances.
Publish research findings or present them at conferences and seminars.
Make and modify plaster casts of areas to be fitted with prostheses or orthoses to guide the device construction process.
Construct and fabricate appliances, or supervise others constructing the appliances.
Confer with physicians to formulate specifications and prescriptions for orthopedic or prosthetic devices.
Fit, test, and evaluate devices on patients, and make adjustments for proper fit, function, and comfort.
Examine, interview, and measure patients to determine their appliance needs and to identify factors that could affect appliance fit.
Research new ways to construct and use orthopedic and prosthetic devices.
Update skills and knowledge by attending conferences and seminars.
Examine, interview, and measure patients to determine their appliance needs and to identify factors that could affect appliance fit.
Instruct patients in the use and care of orthoses and prostheses.
Construct and fabricate appliances, or supervise others constructing the appliances.
Show and explain orthopedic and prosthetic appliances to healthcare workers.
Examine, interview, and measure patients to determine their appliance needs and to identify factors that could affect appliance fit.

Systems Evaluation
- Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Quality Control Analysis
- Testing how well a product or service works.
Service Orientation
- Looking for ways to help people.
Instructing
- Teaching people how to do something.
Learning Strategies
- Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Monitoring
- Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Science
- Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
Persuasion
- Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Equipment Maintenance
- Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
Reading Comprehension
- Reading work-related information.
Management of Financial Resources
- Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
Programming
- Writing computer programs.
Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
Management of Material Resources
- Managing equipment and materials.
Management of Personnel Resources
- Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
Active Listening
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Mathematics
- Using math to solve problems.
Writing
- Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Equipment Selection
- Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
Complex Problem Solving
- Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Judgment and Decision Making
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
Active Learning
- Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Social Perceptiveness
- Understanding people's reactions.
Speaking
- Talking to others.
Critical Thinking
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
Systems Analysis
- Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
Operations Analysis
- Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
Technology Design
- Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
Troubleshooting
- Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
Operation and Control
- Using equipment or systems.
Coordination
- Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Time Management
- Managing your time and the time of other people.
Negotiation
- Bringing people together to solve differences.

Stamina
- Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
Visualization
- Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
Originality
- Creating new and original ideas.
Oral Comprehension
- Listening and understanding what people say.
Dynamic Strength
- Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
Speech Clarity
- Speaking clearly.
Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Keeping your arm or hand steady.
Hearing Sensitivity
- Telling the difference between sounds.
Category Flexibility
- Grouping things in different ways.
Depth Perception
- Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
Gross Body Equilibrium
- Keeping your balance or staying upright.
Rate Control
- Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
Fluency of Ideas
- Coming up with lots of ideas.
Finger Dexterity
- Putting together small parts with your fingers.
Explosive Strength
- Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
Far Vision
- Seeing details that are far away.
Speed of Limb Movement
- Quickly moving your arms and legs.
Written Comprehension
- Reading and understanding what is written.
Speed of Closure
- Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
Number Facility
- Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
Trunk Strength
- Using your lower back and stomach.
Problem Sensitivity
- Noticing when problems happen.
Manual Dexterity
- Holding or moving items with your hands.
Peripheral Vision
- Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
Reaction Time
- Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
Inductive Reasoning
- Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Perceptual Speed
- Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Information Ordering
- Ordering or arranging things.
Static Strength
- Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
Spatial Orientation
- Knowing where things are around you.
Written Expression
- Communicating by writing.
Multilimb Coordination
- Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
Speech Recognition
- Recognizing spoken words.
Mathematical Reasoning
- Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
Response Orientation
- Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
Extent Flexibility
- Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Sound Localization
- Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
Flexibility of Closure
- Seeing hidden patterns.
Selective Attention
- Paying attention to something without being distracted.
Time Sharing
- Doing two or more things at the same time.
Glare Sensitivity
- Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
Wrist-Finger Speed
- Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
Dynamic Flexibility
- Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Deductive Reasoning
- Using rules to solve problems.
Memorization
- Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
Auditory Attention
- Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
Gross Body Coordination
- Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
Near Vision
- Seeing details up close.
Visual Color Discrimination
- Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
Night Vision
- Seeing at night or under low light.
Oral Expression
- Communicating by speaking.
Control Precision
- Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

Communications and Media
- Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Production and Processing
- Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Mathematics
- Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Customer and Personal Service
- Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Fine Arts
- Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Foreign Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Transportation
- Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Physics
- Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
Chemistry
- Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Biology
- Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Personnel and Human Resources
- Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Medicine and Dentistry
- Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Building and Construction
- Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Philosophy and Theology
- Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
Design
- Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Sales and Marketing
- Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Geography
- Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Computers and Electronics
- Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
History and Archeology
- Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
Therapy and Counseling
- Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Food Production
- Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Administrative
- Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Psychology
- Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Engineering and Technology
- Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Mechanical
- Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Administration and Management
- Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Education and Training
- Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Sociology and Anthropology
- Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Economics and Accounting
- Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Law and Government
- Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
English Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Telecommunications
- Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Public Safety and Security
- Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Education

Master's degree

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

Internship/residency

Education and Training Opportunities

Washington Annual Salary

90240/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

43.39/hr

Currently Employed

200

Yearly Projected Openings

Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:

Dependability
Integrity
Attention to Detail
Concern for Others
Cooperation
Analytical Thinking

Alignment jig
Anvils
Automatic lathe or chucking machine
Belt sander
Bench vises
Bending machines
Calipers
Cast cutters or saws
Claw hammer
Deburring tool
Desktop computers
Digital camcorders or video cameras
Electro pneumatic transducers
Electromyography EMG units
Goggles
Goniometers or arthrometers
Half round file
Hand reamer
Heat guns
Hex keys
Laboratory mechanical convection ovens
Laboratory safety ovens
Levels
Masks or accessories
Medical exam or non surgical procedure gloves
Medical tape measures
Mill saw file
Notebook computers
Personal computers
Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers
Pipe or tube cutter
Pipe vises
Power buffers
Power drills
Power grinders
Power planes
Power routers
Power sanders
Power saws
Pressure indicators
Protractors
Punching pliers
Rasps
Rulers
Scanners
Sewing machines
Shears
Spot welding machine
Surgical isolation or surgical masks
Tablet computers
Tongs
Traveling column milling machine
Utility knives
Vacuum molding machines

Accounting software
Computer aided design CAD software
Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
Data base user interface and query software
Electronic mail software
Graphics or photo imaging software
Internet browser software
Medical software
Presentation software
Spreadsheet software
Word processing software

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Find Orthotists and Prosthetists jobs Education and Training for Orthotists and Prosthetists

Statewide occupation search

Statewide occupation search

Orthotists and Prosthetists

Work Activities

Skills

Abilities

Knowledge

Education

Pay

Washington Employment Trends

Personality

Tools

Technology

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES