Occupation Profile

Orthotists and Prosthetists

(SOC Code : 29-2091)

in California

Assist patients with disabling conditions of limbs and spine or with partial or total absence of limb by fitting and preparing orthopedic braces or prostheses.

Employers are usually looking for candidates with a Bachelor's degree .

Occupational Wages

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Area	Year	Period	Hourly Mean	Hourly by Percentile
				25th	Median	75th
California	2012	1st Qtr	$34.84	$20.87	$27.85	$45.21

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Occupational Projections of Employment (also called "Outlook" or "Demand")

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Projections for this occupation in California are not available.

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About This Occupation (from O*NET - The Occupation Information Network)

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Top Tasks (Specific duties and responsibilities of this job.)

Fit, test, and evaluate devices on patients, and make adjustments for proper fit, function, and comfort.

Examine, interview, and measure patients to determine their appliance needs and to identify factors that could affect appliance fit.

Instruct patients in the use and care of orthoses and prostheses.

Design orthopedic and prosthetic devices, based on physicians` prescriptions and examination and measurement of patients.

Maintain patients` records.

Make and modify plaster casts of areas that will be fitted with prostheses or orthoses, for use in the device construction process.

Select materials and components to be used, based on device design.

Confer with physicians to formulate specifications and prescriptions for orthopedic or prosthetic devices.

Repair, rebuild, and modify prosthetic and orthopedic appliances.

Construct and fabricate appliances or supervise others constructing the appliances.

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Top Skills used in this Job

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.

Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others` reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.

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Top Abilities (Attributes of the person that influence performance in this job.)

Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

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Top Work Values (Aspects of this job that create satisfaction.)

Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

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Top Interests (The types of activities someone in this job would like.)

Social - Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

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