Orthotists and Prosthetists
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Orthotists and Prosthetists in the United States earn a median salary of $81,110 per year — about $39 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roughly 10K people work in this occupation nationwide, with projected employment growth of +13%.
AI & Automation Risk
This occupation involves a significant amount of physical, hands-on work including patient examinations, manual measurements, and the physical fabrication or adjustment of medical devices. While AI and computer-aided design (CAD) can greatly enhance the diagnostic and design phases, the core requirements of real-time human interaction, physical dexterity, and clinical judgment in a healthcare setting provide a strong barrier to full automation.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roanoke, VABEST VALUE | $98,380 | Below avg (93.6) | $105,087 |
| Iowa City, IA | $95,290 | Below avg (91.5) | $104,132 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $106,990 | Above avg (105.4) | $101,488 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $98,320 | Average (98.2) | $100,166 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $108,110 | Above avg (110.4) | $97,905 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $89,290 | Below avg (93.3) | $95,743 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $107,520 | Above avg (112.6) | $95,520 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $105,420 | Above avg (111.1) | $94,859 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $91,730 | Below avg (96.9) | $94,628 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $83,780 | Below avg (90.4) | $92,669 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $92,490 | Average (100.9) | $91,694 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $93,600 | Average (102.6) | $91,269 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $95,030 | Above avg (104.5) | $90,949 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $103,070 | Above avg (113.6) | $90,758 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $101,230 | Above avg (111.9) | $90,475 |