How to become an orthotic and prosthetic technician

Official title: Orthotic and prosthetic technician

Also called: Medical appliance technician, Orthopaedic technician, Orthopaedic appliances repairer, Orthotic technician, Orthotist technician, Prostethic technician, Orthotist tradesperson

Orthotic and prosthetic technicians build, maintain and repair medical supportive equipment like braces, artificial body parts and other medical appliances.

Main tasks

• Build orthotic and prosthetic devices
• Cast moulds from patient body shapes
• Mark material using patterns and guides
• Drill holes in parts and materials
• Weld and join parts of devices
• Check device quality
• Repair medical devices and equipment
• Read work orders for device requirements

How to become one

You usually learn on the job to become an orthotic and prosthetic technician and experience and a qualification may be useful. You usually don't need specific NCEA levels for this job, but Level 3 may be useful. Other requirements: a relevant tertiary qualification in engineering studies, public health studies or similar area; experience in similar work; to be registered with the New Zealand Orthotic and Prosthetic Association.

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Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Apprenticeship in other engineering. TEC links this job to study in other engineering studies. New Zealand apprenticeship (NZQA level 4). Qualifications: NZ Cert in Locksmithing (Trade). Usually 3 years.
• Certificates and diplomas: Advanced certificates and diplomas in public health. TEC links this job to study in public health studies. Qualifications: NZ Dip in Ambulance Practice, Dip in Community Health Care and Support. Usually 1 year. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $87,000 a year one year after study; 100% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).; Intermediate and advanced training in environmental engineering. TEC links this job to study in other engineering studies. Qualifications: NZ Cert in Irrigation System Performance Assessment, NZ Cert in Irrigation System Design. Usually 7 to 12 months.

Pay · Past change · AI and this job

• Most common pay: $62,000 to $93,000 a year (median $73,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
• Upper: $120,000 a year
• TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
• Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Strong increase (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
• People employed in the group Medical Technicians: 6,783 at the 2018 Census and 12,543 at the 2023 Census (+84.9%). Past change, not a forecast.
• Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Who does this work

• About 110 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
• In the group Medical Technicians, 68% of workers are female (sex at birth, 2023 Census).
• Where people in the group Medical Technicians work (2023 Census): Auckland 28%, Canterbury 14.3%, and Waikato 14%.

Related jobs

• Audio visual technician
• Medical laboratory technician
• Cardiac technician
• Pharmacy technician
• Audiometrist
• Medical laboratory pre-analytical technician

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Questions people ask

How do I become an orthotic and prosthetic technician?

You usually learn on the job to become an orthotic and prosthetic technician and experience and a qualification may be useful. You usually don't need specific NCEA levels for this job, but Level 3 may be useful. Other requirements: a relevant tertiary qualification in engineering studies, public health studies or similar area; experience in similar work; to be registered with the New Zealand Orthotic and Prosthetic Association.

How much does an orthotic and prosthetic technician earn in New Zealand?

The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $73,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $62,000 to $93,000 a year.

Has the number of people working as an orthotic and prosthetic technician grown in New Zealand?

It has grown strongly: TEC records a strong increase in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.

Will AI change the work of an orthotic and prosthetic technician?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

• Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census 2023: employed by regional council, occupation (ANZSCO V1.3 unit group) and sex at birth (2023 Census), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), retrieved 4 October 2026
• Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
• Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census totals by topic for individuals 2013, 2018, 2023 (CEN23_TBT_004): employed by occupation, ANZSCO V1.3, summed to unit group (2023 Census (CEN23_TBT_004)), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), retrieved 4 October 2026
• International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.

Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.

This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.

Includes information from O*NET OnLine 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. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.

These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.

Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.

Updated 4 October 2026