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AI exposure Production

Will AI replace medical appliance technicians?

Medical Appliance Technicians. US occupation 51-9082.

0.0%

of the time medical appliance technicians spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of medical appliance technicians' working hours go on tasks AI has already started taking off their plate.

Ranked 346 of 756 US occupations. No AI use seen in the work yet, along with 410 other occupations.No handover started yet, along with 410 other occupations.

Average US job 7.7%

Among the least exposed jobs there are.Still waiting for liberation.

What AI already does for medical appliance techniciansWhat medical appliance technicians no longer do alone

O*NET lists 15 tasks for medical appliance technicians. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

15 of the 15 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Bend, form, and shape fabric or material to conform to prescribed contours of structural components.Core task
  • Construct or receive casts or impressions of patients' torsos or limbs for use as cutting and fabrication patterns.Core task
  • Cover or pad metal or plastic structures or devices, using coverings such as rubber, leather, felt, plastic, or fiberglass.Core task
  • Drill and tap holes for rivets, and glue, weld, bolt, or rivet parts together to form prosthetic or orthotic devices.Core task
  • Lay out and mark dimensions of parts, using templates and precision measuring instruments.Core task
  • Make orthotic or prosthetic devices, using materials such as thermoplastic and thermosetting materials, metal alloys and leather, and hand or power tools.Core task
Show the other 9
  • Mix pigments to match patients' skin coloring, according to formulas, and apply mixtures to orthotic or prosthetic devices.Core task
  • Polish artificial limbs, braces, or supports, using grinding and buffing wheels.Core task
  • Read prescriptions or specifications to determine the type of product or device to be fabricated and the materials and tools required.Core task
  • Repair, modify, or maintain medical supportive devices, such as artificial limbs, braces, or surgical supports, according to specifications.Core task
  • Service or repair machinery used in the fabrication of appliances.Core task
  • Test medical supportive devices for proper alignment, movement, or biomechanical stability, using meters and alignment fixtures.Core task
  • Fit appliances onto patients, and make any necessary adjustments.
  • Instruct patients in use of prosthetic or orthotic devices.
  • Take patients' body or limb measurements for use in device construction.

How that compares

Among the 98 production occupations, medical appliance technicians rank 57. The group averages 0.8%, and its most exposed job is Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers at 12.1%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Level with 0.0%

  1. 346Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers 0.0%
  2. 346Mechanical Door Repairers 0.0%
  3. 346Mechanical Drafters 0.0%

What this does and does not mean

Exposure is observed use, not a forecast. Anthropic maps work conversations with Claude onto the tasks O*NET lists for each job and asks, of the tasks AI could speed up, which are actually being used for at work. A use that does the task outright counts in full and a use that assists a person counts half. The task scores are averaged into the occupation figure by the share of time spent on each task.

A high figure means AI is already part of how this work gets done. It does not mean anyone has been replaced. Anthropic's own reading of the labour market finds no systematic rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting exposed jobs.No measurable rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting these jobs. Gap years for everyone. Labor market impacts, 5 March 2026.

Task list and titles from O*NET 31.0 by the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. Scores from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Checked 1 November 2026. How the ranking works.