Occupation salary profile

Orthotists and Prosthetists

SOC 29-2091 BLS OEWS May 2025 H-1B LCAs, last 12 months

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

National median · BLS
$81,110
▲ +3.58% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
$70,500
▲ +23.52% YoY · 22 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$83,740
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
9,390
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Orthotists and Prosthetists

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 22 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS) H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay$46,350$52,300
25th$61,290$60,500
Median (50th)$81,110$70,500
75th$99,990$90,923
90th — top pay$119,810$105,000
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $70,500 for Orthotists and Prosthetists — 13.1% below the BLS national median of $81,110.

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Orthotists and Prosthetists

BLS projects employment of orthotists and prosthetists to grow 12.9% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 700 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
9,500 → 10,700
+1,200 jobs
Projected change
+12.9%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
700
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Master's degree
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Internship/residency
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 5)
Extensive Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a master's degree →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

H-1B sponsored pay

Pay by H-1B wage level

Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.

H-1B median $70,500
Change vs prior year +23.52%
After inflation (CPI-U) +19.77%
Wage level LCAs Share P25 Median P75
Level II 12 54.5% $70,750 $80,689 $94,000
Skills & tools

Skills needed for Orthotists and Prosthetists

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Active Listening4.0
  • Critical Thinking4.0
  • Reading Comprehension4.0
  • Speaking4.0
  • Writing4.0
  • Active Learning3.8
  • Complex Problem Solving3.8
  • Service Orientation3.8
  • Social Perceptiveness3.8
  • Monitoring3.4
Top knowledge areas
  • Customer and Personal Service4.6
  • Medicine and Dentistry4.3
  • Design4.0
  • Therapy and Counseling4.0
  • English Language3.9
  • Psychology3.9
  • Mechanical3.8
  • Education and Training3.8
Software and technology used
Autodesk AutoCADIntuit QuickBooksMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordAlibre DesignAmerican Orthotic and Prosthetic Association CodingProArtsco OrthoPro CompleteComputer graphics softwareEmail softwareFutura International O.P.S.Gait analysis softwareGez Bowman THE O&P HUBHealthcare common procedure coding system HCPCSInfinity CAD Systems AutoSculptMedePresence

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What orthotists and prosthetists do

  • Fit, test, and evaluate devices on patients, and make adjustments for proper fit, function, and comfort.
  • Instruct patients in the use and care of orthoses and prostheses.
  • Maintain patients' records.
  • Examine, interview, and measure patients to determine their appliance needs and to identify factors that could affect appliance fit.
  • 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.
  • Repair, rebuild, and modify prosthetic and orthopedic appliances.
  • Construct and fabricate appliances, or supervise others constructing the appliances.
Also called
Certified Orthotist (CO)Certified Prosthetist (CP)Certified Prosthetist Orthotist (CPO)OrthotistCertified PedorthistLicensed OrthotistLPO (Licensed Prosthetist Orthotist)Orthotic PractitionerProsthetic PractitionerProsthetist
More job titles for this occupation (18)
American Board Certified Orthotist (ABC Orthotist)Artificial Limb FitterBoard OrthotistBoard ProsthetistCertified Orthotic FitterLicensed ProsthetistOrthopedic AssistantOrthopedic MechanicOrthotic and Prosthetic Technician (Orthotic and Prosthetic Tech)Orthotic ClinicianOrthotic FitterOrthotic Technician (Orthotic Tech)Orthotics AssistantOrthotist and ProsthetistOrthotist ClinicianPedorthistProsthetic ClinicianProsthetics Assistant

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.