How to become a medical technologist or technician
Official title: Other medical technologists and technicians
Also called: Dietary technician, Dialysis technician, Orthotic technician, Dietary technologist, Ocularist technician, Dialysis technologist, Prosthetic technician, Aeromedical technician, Aeromedicine technician, Hemodialysis technician, Hemodialysis technologist, Kidney dialysis technician
Other medical technologists and technicians includes medical technologists and technicians, such as dietary technicians, ocularists, prosthetists, orthotists, prosthetic technicians and orthotic technicians. Dietary technicians are employed in health care and commercial food service establishments such as hospitals, extended care facilities, nursing homes, schools, cafeterias and fast food outlets. Ocularists are employed in custom ocular prosthetic laboratories, or they may be self-employed. Prosthetists, orthotists and prosthetic and orthotic technicians are employed in hospitals, clinics, prosthetics and orthotics laboratories, and prosthetic device manufacturing companies. Prosthetists and orthotists may also be self-employed. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.
Main tasks
- Dietary technicians
- Assist dietitians or nutritionists to plan and supervise food service operations
- Plan menus and diet for individuals or groups under the direction of a dietitian or nutritionist
- Assist in the supervision of personnel who prepare and serve food
- Help patients select menu items
- Assist dietitians with research in food, nutrition and food service systems
- Ocularists
- Design, fabricate and fit ocular prostheses and conformers, and may design and fabricate implants
How to become one
Dietary technicians require completion of a two- to three-year college program in dietary technology and supervised practical training. Ocularists require completion of the education program of the American Society of Ocularists and supervised practical training or a five-year supervised practical training program under a certified ocularist. Certification by the National Examining Board of Ocularists is usually required. Prosthetists and orthotists require a two-year college program in prosthetics and orthotics technology and three years of supervised practical training. Certification by the Canadian Board of Certification of Prosthetists and Orthotists (CBCPO) may be required. Prosthetic and orthotic technicians usually require a two- to three- year college program in prosthetics and orthotics and one to two years of supervised practical training or completion of secondary school and up to four years of supervised practical training under a certified prosthetist or orthotist. Registration with the Canadian Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists (CAPO) may be required.
Ways in
- College or CEGEP: College or CEGEP program. 51% of workers hold a college or other non-degree diploma (Census 2021). Common fields: Rehabilitation and therapeutic professions; Dietetics and clinical nutrition services; Sports, kinesiology, and physical education/physical fitness.
Pay · Outlook
- Median pay: $54,600 a year The middle half earn $46,800 to $64,350.
- About 7,300 people worked in this job in 2023, and about 8,100 are projected by 2033. (+11%)
- Projected labour market to 2033: moderate risk of shortage.
Related jobs
- Medical laboratory technologists
- Medical radiation technologists
- Medical sonographers
- Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists
- Pharmacy technicians
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Questions people ask
How do I become a medical technologist or technician?
Dietary technicians require completion of a two- to three-year college program in dietary technology and supervised practical training. Ocularists require completion of the education program of the American Society of Ocularists and supervised practical training or a five-year supervised practical training program under a certified ocularist. Certification by the National Examining Board of Ocularists is usually required. Prosthetists and orthotists require a two-year college program in prosthetics and orthotics technology and three years of supervised practical training. Certification by the Canadian Board of Certification of Prosthetists and Orthotists (CBCPO) may be required. Prosthetic and orthotic technicians usually require a two- to three- year college program in prosthetics and orthotics and one to two years of supervised practical training or completion of secondary school and up to four years of supervised practical training under a certified prosthetist or orthotist. Registration with the Canadian Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists (CAPO) may be required.
How much does a medical technologist or technician earn in Canada?
Median full-time pay is $54,600 a year (Employment and Social Development Canada (Job Bank)). The middle half earn $46,800 to $64,350.
Is a medical technologist or technician a growing career in Canada?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 11% by 2033, from about 7,300 to about 8,100 people (Employment and Social Development Canada).
Do you need a degree to become a medical technologist or technician?
Not always. 31% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: College or CEGEP program.
Sources
- Statistics Canada: Census 2021: employment by occupation, gender and education (98-10-0449) (2021 Census), Statistics Canada Open Licence, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Statistics Canada: National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 (Version 1.0), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Employment and Social Development Canada: Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS) (2024 to 2033), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Employment and Social Development Canada (Job Bank): Wages by occupation (2025 (revised 2025-11-19)), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03