How to become a prosthetist or orthotist

Prosthetists and orthotists qualify through the same HCPC-approved degree in prosthetics and orthotics, then register with the Health and Care Professions Council. Prosthetists design and fit artificial limbs. Orthotists provide devices that support or correct part of the body, such as foot orthoses, braces, splints and spinal jackets. In the NHS both start at Agenda for Change band 5 (£32,073 in England from 1 April 2026), but a large share of the profession works for private companies that hold NHS contracts, and their pay is set by the company.

What prosthetists and orthotists do

Both titles are protected, and the UK degrees lead to registration in both. After qualifying, most people settle into one side.

Prosthetists work with people who have lost a limb or were born without one, through injury, diabetes, vascular disease, cancer or a congenital condition. You assess the person, take a cast or scan of the residual limb, design a socket and choose components, then fit, adjust and review the limb as the person’s body and activity level change. Patients are often seen for years, sometimes for life.

Orthotists see a wider range of conditions: foot problems linked to diabetes or arthritis, children with cerebral palsy who need ankle-foot orthoses, people recovering from a stroke, spinal curvature in teenagers, and injuries that need bracing. Clinics can be busy, with many short appointments in a day.

In both jobs you work closely with physiotherapists, consultants in rehabilitation medicine and orthopaedics, and the technicians who make the devices. See physiotherapist for a profession you will work alongside constantly.

NHS posts and contracted companies

Prosthetic services are mostly run from specialist rehabilitation or limb-fitting centres, and orthotic clinics are held in hospital outpatient departments and community sites. In many areas the NHS buys the service from a private orthotics or prosthetics company, which employs the clinicians and runs the clinics on NHS premises. Health Careers notes that these staff may have different terms and conditions from NHS employees.

Keep this in mind when you compare offers. An NHS post gives you Agenda for Change pay, NHS Pension Scheme membership, and annual leave of 27 days plus 8 public holidays, rising to 29 days after five years and 33 after ten. A company post may pay more or less, and may have a different pension and holiday package. Ask for the full terms in writing before you accept.

Training routes

Only a few universities run the degree. The undergraduate course takes three or four years depending on where you study, and there is a two-year postgraduate route for people who already have a degree. Universities usually ask for A levels including maths and a science, plus GCSEs in English, maths and science.

In England there is also a level 6 degree apprenticeship. You are employed by an NHS trust or other provider and study at an approved university, so you earn while you train and pay no tuition fees. Places are limited, so you need to look for vacancies over a long period; NHS apprenticeships explains where they are advertised. A level 3 prosthetic and orthotic technician apprenticeship is another way into the field. Technicians make and adjust devices, and some later move on to the degree.

Eligible students in England on the degree can apply to the NHS Learning Support Fund for a non-repayable payment while studying. The amount and rules are set by the NHS Business Services Authority.

Pay

Band	Typical role	England pay from 1 April 2026
5	Newly qualified prosthetist or orthotist	£32,073 to £39,043
6	Specialist or experienced clinician	£39,959 to £48,117
7	Senior or lead clinician	£49,387 to £56,515
8a	Service manager	£57,528 to £64,750

Band 5 has three points, and you move up after two years at each one, provided you meet the normal requirements. In Scotland, band 5 runs from £34,494 to £42,977 and band 6 from £43,169 to £52,603. The take-home pay calculator works out net pay at any of these salaries.

Skills and day-to-day work

The job combines clinical assessment, engineering and handwork. You need a good understanding of anatomy and how people walk, enough maths and physics to think about forces and alignment, and practical skill with casting, scanning and fitting. Computer-aided design and 3D scanning are now common, but plaster casting and hand adjustment have not disappeared.

Clinic work is mostly daytime, Monday to Friday. Health Careers notes that some posts include shifts or early starts, depending on the service. You spend much of the day on your feet and handling equipment.

You will spend a lot of time talking with patients. A new amputee may be grieving the loss of a limb, and a teenager who has to wear a spinal brace for many hours a day may not want to. Part of the job is finding out why someone has stopped wearing a device and what would make them use it again.

Registration and first jobs

When you graduate you apply to the HCPC and pay a registration fee, then renew every two years. HCPC registration covers the details, and the fee can be claimed against tax through HMRC’s approved list. The British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists is the professional body.

First posts are advertised on NHS Jobs and on the websites of the companies that run contracted services, so search both. NHS vacancies appear under allied health jobs. Expect a supporting statement and an interview that tests both clinical knowledge and how you would handle a difficult conversation with a patient.