Alternative careers
Related career paths that build on similar skills and experience
Why it fits
Functional assessment, adaptive equipment, daily-living goals, and patient education are meaningful overlaps.
Why it fits
Gait, mobility, rehabilitation goals, patient assessment, and assistive device use overlap, though licensure differs.
Why it fits
Prosthetic design, biomechanics, materials, patient needs, and device evaluation transfer with engineering credentials.
Why it fits
Mobility training, exercise follow-up, brace use, patient instruction, and rehab documentation overlap.
Occupation snapshot
What does this snowflake show?
What's this?
We rate jobs using four factors. These are:
- Chance of being automated
- Job growth
- Wages
- Volume of available positions
These are some key things to think about when job hunting.
Risk & user votes
Calculated automation risk
Minimal Risk (0-20%): This occupation appears difficult to replace end-to-end with current or near-future automation, including AI software and robotics. Roles in this range usually depend on human judgement, creativity, care, leadership, specialist expertise, or adapting to messy real-world situations. AI and machines may still change parts of the work, but the occupation is likely to remain a distinct human role.
More information on what this score is, and how it is calculated is available here.
Human strengths important in this job
These are human abilities and work contexts that are important in this occupation. They may help explain why parts of the role are harder to replace end-to-end, but they are not the only inputs into the automation score.
Assisting and caring for others
Very importantWhy this matters
Working directly with the public
Very importantWhy this matters
Thinking creatively
Very importantWhy this matters
Decision-making and problem solving
Very importantWhy this matters
Persuasion
Quite importantWhy this matters
Show 6 more strengths
Coordinating others’ work
Quite importantWhy this matters
Psychology knowledge
Quite importantWhy this matters
Consulting and advising others
Quite importantWhy this matters
Active learning
Quite importantWhy this matters
Operations analysis
Quite importantWhy this matters
Education and training expertise
Quite importantWhy this matters
What users think
Based on 40 votes
Our visitors have voted there's a low chance this occupation will be automated. This assessment is further supported by the calculated automation risk level, which estimates 12% chance of automation.
What do you think the risk of automation is?
What is the likelihood that Orthotists and Prosthetists will be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence within the next 20 years?
View sentiment trend
Pay & outlook
Wages
In 2024, the median annual wage for Orthotists and Prosthetists was $78,310 ($38 per hour).
The median annual wage for Orthotists and Prosthetists was 58.2% higher than the national median annual wage, which stood at $49,500.
View wage trend
Wages over time
Growth
The number of 'Orthotists and Prosthetists' job openings is expected to rise 13.3% by 2034
View employment trend
Total employment, and estimated job openings
Updated projections are due 09-2025.
Volume
As of 2024 there were 9,930 people employed as 'Orthotists and Prosthetists' within the United States.
This represents around < 0.001% of the employed workforce across the country
Put another way, around 1 in 15 thousand people are employed as 'Orthotists and Prosthetists'.
People also viewed
Job description
Design, measure, fit, and adapt orthopedic braces, appliances or prostheses, such as limbs or facial parts for patients with disabling conditions.
O*NET-SOC code: 29-2091.00
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