Medical Appliance Technicians build quality control analysis, troubleshooting and judgment and decision making skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters (83%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters | 83% | $51,330 | +7% | None |
| 2 | Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 76% | $47,920 | 0% | None |
| 3 | Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | 74% | $53,750 | +12% | None |
| 4 | Endoscopy Technicians | 73% | $48,430Pay for the broader BLS group “Healthcare Support Workers, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 5 | Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 72% | $46,330 | −4% | None |
| 6 | Furniture Finishers | 72% | $44,540 | −7% | None |
| 7 | Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 72% | $47,180 | −2% | None |
| 8 | Medical Equipment Preparers | 72% | $47,700 | −1% | None |
| 9 | Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners | 71% | $50,060 | +4% | None |
| 10 | Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers | 71% | $65,380 | +36% | None |
Compared with Medical Appliance Technicians, median $48,030. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as medical appliance technicians (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
83% skill match · $51,330 · +7% pay
76% skill match · $47,920 · 0% pay
Operation and Control
74% skill match · $53,750 · +12% pay
Installation
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters (83% skill match, median $51,330), Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (76% skill match, median $47,920) and Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers (74% skill match, median $53,750), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 11 pay more than medical appliance technicians at the median. The biggest increases: Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians (+55%, $74,510), Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers (+36%, $65,380) and Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic (+33%, $63,870).
24 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.