Construct, fit, maintain, or repair medical supportive devices, such as braces, orthotics and prosthetic devices, joints, arch supports, and other surgical and medical appliances.
U.S. Workers
11,490
Median Salary
$47,060
10-Year Growth
+3.7%
Annual Openings
1,500
Typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
15 of 15 tasks have some AI capability
Exposure Trend
This score reflects estimated AI technical capability for tasks in this occupation. It does not predict employment changes, and it does not account for company-specific constraints, regulation, or adoption barriers.
Read prescriptions or specifications to determine the type of product or device to be fabricated and the materials and tools that will be required.
AI: Fully automatable - OCR combined with NLP reliably interprets prescriptions/specifications and maps them to product types, materials, and tools within digital workflows by 2025.
Lay out and mark dimensions of parts, using templates and precision measuring instruments.
AI: Fully automatable - CNC/CAM systems and vision-guided robots can lay out and mark part dimensions with high precision, so this task is fully automatable in practice.
Polish artificial limbs, braces, or supports, using grinding and buffing wheels.
AI: Fully automatable - Robotic polishing and automated finishing systems are mature enough to perform grinding and buffing of prosthetics and supports reliably.
Take patients' body or limb measurements for use in device construction.
AI: Fully automatable - 3D scanning, photogrammetry, and automated measurement workflows can capture body and limb measurements accurately and repeatably, enabling full automation.
Drill and tap holes for rivets and glue, weld, bolt, or rivet parts together to form prosthetic or orthotic devices.
AI: Partial - Machine tools can drill, tap, and fasten to specifications, but one-off prosthetic assemblies, complex fixturing, and adaptive joining tasks still need human technicians for now.
Make orthotic or prosthetic devices, using materials such as thermoplastic and thermosetting materials, metal alloys and leather, and hand or power tools.
AI: Partial - Additive manufacturing and AI-driven design can produce many prosthetic/orthotic components, but complete end-to-end fabrication, assembly, and final fitting remain only partially automatable.
Bend, form, and shape fabric or material to conform to prescribed contours of structural components.
AI: Partial - Thermoforming and automated forming equipment can handle standard contouring tasks, but bespoke shaping to patient-specific, variable geometries still requires human skill.
Construct or receive casts or impressions of patients' torsos or limbs for use as cutting and fabrication patterns.
AI: Partial - 3D scanning and AI processing can replace or augment physical casts and generate fabrication patterns, but physically taking impressions and handling patient interactions prevent full automation.
Repair, modify, or maintain medical supportive devices, such as artificial limbs, braces, or surgical supports, according to specifications.
AI: Partial - AI can diagnose issues and guide repairs and some machine operations can perform routine maintenance, but unpredictable damage, custom modifications, and on-site decisions limit full automation.
Cover or pad metal or plastic structures or devices, using coverings such as rubber, leather, felt, plastic, or fiberglass.
AI: Partial - Some covering and padding processes can be mechanized, but complex hand-fitting, trimming, and finishing with varied materials are still largely manual tasks in 2025.
Test medical supportive devices for proper alignment, movement, or biomechanical stability, using meters and alignment fixtures.
AI: Partial - Bench testing using sensors, fixtures, and robotics can replicate many alignment and biomechanical measurements, but complex interpretation and oversight by humans are typically still required in 2025.
Fit appliances onto patients and make any necessary adjustments.
AI: Partial - Fitting appliances to patients requires nuanced manual adjustments, patient interaction, and clinical judgment, so it can only be partially automated by 2025.
Mix pigments to match patients' skin coloring, according to formulas, and apply mixtures to orthotic or prosthetic devices.
AI: Partial - Spectrophotometers and formula-based mixers can automate color matching, but subtle tinting and hand-application for lifelike results remain partly manual.
Instruct patients in use of prosthetic or orthotic devices.
AI: Partial - AI-driven instruction, videos, and virtual coaches can deliver most guidance, but personalized hands-on training and clinical nuance often require human clinicians, so partial automation.
Service or repair machinery used in the fabrication of appliances.
AI: Partial - Automated diagnostics, predictive maintenance, and guided repair procedures assist service, but complex mechanical repairs and hands-on servicing still need human technicians.