Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-9082

Medical Appliance Technicians

Median pay sits 35% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Nuclear Power Reactor Operators, Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers, Power Distributors and Dispatchers, Model Makers, Metal and Plastic).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Medical Appliance Technicians: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($123K) , Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers ($63K) , Power Distributors and Dispatchers ($107K) , Model Makers, Metal and Plastic ($63K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Medical Appliance Technicians publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-9082 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Drill and tap holes for rivets, and glue, weld, bolt, or rivet parts together to form prosthetic or orthotic devices
  2. 2. Read prescriptions or specifications to determine the type of product or device to be fabricated and the materials and tools required
  3. 3. Make orthotic or prosthetic devices, using materials such as thermoplastic and thermosetting materials, metal alloys and leather, and han…
  4. 4. Bend, form, and shape fabric or material to conform to prescribed contours of structural components
  5. 5. Construct or receive casts or impressions of patients' torsos or limbs for use as cutting and fabrication patterns
  6. 6. Repair, modify, or maintain medical supportive devices, such as artificial limbs, braces, or surgical supports, according to specifications
  7. 7. Cover or pad metal or plastic structures or devices, using coverings such as rubber, leather, felt, plastic, or fiberglass
  8. 8. Test medical supportive devices for proper alignment, movement, or biomechanical stability, using meters and alignment fixtures
  9. 9. Lay out and mark dimensions of parts, using templates and precision measuring instruments
  10. 10. Fit appliances onto patients, and make any necessary adjustments
  11. 11. Polish artificial limbs, braces, or supports, using grinding and buffing wheels
  12. 12. Mix pigments to match patients' skin coloring, according to formulas, and apply mixtures to orthotic or prosthetic devices

Medical Appliance Technicians: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-9082 - lead skill Active Listening at 3.9 ; lead knowledge Production and Processing. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 3.9
  2. 2. Critical Thinking 3.8
  3. 3. Quality Control Analysis 3.8
  4. 4. Reading Comprehension 3.6
  5. 5. Speaking 3.6
  6. 6. Troubleshooting 3.6
  7. 7. Social Perceptiveness 3.5
  8. 8. Operations Monitoring 3.5

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Production and Processing 3.9
  2. 2. Customer and Personal Service 3.7
  3. 3. English Language 3.5
  4. 4. Mechanical 3.4
  5. 5. Design 3.3
  6. 6. Education and Training 3.1
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-35%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $48,030/yr
$48K
National median
↑ +4%
Growth 2024-2034
1,500
Annual openings
11,280
Estimated US jobs
Nuclear Power Reactor Operators
Highest-pay peer · $123K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Medical Appliance Technicians

1. New Hampshire $54,980
2. Pennsylvania $60,920
3. Connecticut $54,430
4. Virginia $56,260
5. North Carolina $54,650
6. Minnesota $53,750
7. Massachusetts $59,810
8. Arizona $72,760
9. Nebraska $54,770
10. Colorado $59,560

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Power Distributors and Dispatchers $106,730
  2. 2. Model Makers, Metal and Plastic $63,340
  3. 3. Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators $78,620
  4. 4. Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers $62,750
  5. 5. Chemical Plant and System Operators $78,120
  6. 6. Nuclear Power Reactor Operators $122,890

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Medical Appliance Technicians sits 35% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $48,030.

Employment Projections expect +4% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 1,500 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: New Hampshire at $54,980. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators at $122,890. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Medical Appliance Technicians pay-rank #50 in Production Occupations

Medical Appliance Technicians sits at pay-rank #50 of 105 detailed Production Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 51-9082 · national median $48,030 · middle third of Production Occupations (#50/105). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Medical Appliance Technicians salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-9082

New Hampshire · top state for Medical Appliance Technicians

$55K published median

Pennsylvania · #2 state pay

$61K · behind New Hampshire

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators

Highest-pay peer vs Medical Appliance Technicians · $123K

Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers

Lower-pay peer beside Medical Appliance Technicians · $63K

Compare Medical Appliance Technicians

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Medical Appliance Technicians with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Medical Appliance Technicians

Against another occupation

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Medical Appliance Technicians mid-table among Production Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #50 of 105 detailed Production Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders ($48K), Foundry Mold and Coremakers ($48K), Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders ($48K), Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers ($48K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do medical appliance technicians do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Medical Appliance Technicians. Leading ones include: Drill and tap holes for rivets, and glue, weld, bolt, or rivet parts together to form prosthetic or orthotic devices; Read prescriptions or specifications to determine the type of product or device to be fabricated and the materials and tools required; Make orthotic or prosthetic devices, using materials such as thermoplastic and thermosetting materials, metal alloys and leather, and han…; Bend, form, and shape fabric or material to conform to prescribed contours of structural components. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for medical appliance technicians? ▼
For SOC 51-9082, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (3.9), Critical Thinking (3.8), Quality Control Analysis (3.8), Reading Comprehension (3.6). Knowledge areas emphasize Production and Processing, Customer and Personal Service, English Language. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Medical Appliance Technicians? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $48,030 as the national median for Medical Appliance Technicians. The published 10th-90th range is $36,510 to $75,740. Beside Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($122,890), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Medical Appliance Technicians? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Medical Appliance Technicians is +4%. Projected annual openings: about 1,500. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Medical Appliance Technicians? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Medical Appliance Technicians. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Medical Appliance Technicians? ▼
New Hampshire ($54,980), Pennsylvania ($60,920), Connecticut ($54,430) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Medical Appliance Technicians card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-9082. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Medical Appliance Technicians. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics