Other Medical Technologists and Technicians (except Dental Health)

(NOC 3219)

in All Health

This group includes medical technologists and technicians like dietary technicians, pharmacy technicians, ocularists, prosthetists, orthotists, prosthetic technicians, and orthotic technicians. Dietary technicians work for health care and commercial food service organizations like hospitals, extended care facilities, nursing homes, schools, cafeterias, and fast food outlets. Pharmacy technicians work for retail and hospital pharmacies, long-term care facilities, and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Ocularists work in custom ocular prosthetic laboratories, or they may be self-employed. Prosthetists, orthotists, and prosthetic and orthotic technicians work in hospitals, clinics, prosthetics and orthotics laboratories, and prosthetic device manufacturing companies and may also be self-employed.

Job Outlook

Average

Read more

  • Estimate Strong growth employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 400 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate Low rate of unemployment in 2022

Compared to: All Health

  • Estimate 3550 employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 6335 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate rate of unemployment not available for these occupation.

Hourly Pay

$14.50

Minimum

$16.00

Median

$26.32

Maximum

Annual Pay

$6,891

Minimum

$26,503

Median

$46,077

Maximum

Compared to: All Health

Hourly Pay

$16.70

Minimum

$26.60

Median

$43.30

Maximum

Annual Pay

$10,740

Minimum

$43,853

Median

$88,944

Maximum

About the job

Nature of work

This group includes medical technologists and technicians like dietary technicians, pharmacy technicians, ocularists, prosthetists, orthotists, prosthetic technicians, and orthotic technicians. Dietary technicians work for health care and commercial food service organizations like hospitals, extended care facilities, nursing homes, schools, cafeterias, and fast food outlets. Pharmacy technicians work for retail and hospital pharmacies, long-term care facilities, and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Ocularists work in custom ocular prosthetic laboratories, or they may be self-employed. Prosthetists, orthotists, and prosthetic and orthotic technicians work in hospitals, clinics, prosthetics and orthotics laboratories, and prosthetic device manufacturing companies and may also be self-employed.

Job duties

Dietary technicians:

  • Help dietitians or nutritionists plan and supervise food service operations.
  • Plan menus and diet for individuals or groups under the direction of a dietitian or nutritionist.
  • Help supervise personnel who prepare and serve food.
  • Help patients select menu items.
  • Help dietitians with research in food, nutrition, and food service systems.

Pharmacy technicians:

  • Help pharmacists maintain inventories of medications and prescription records of pharmaceutical products.
  • Make sure the information on prescriptions is accurate.
  • Enter client information in databases and prepare medications for clients.
  • Compound oral solutions, ointments, and creams.
  • Bill third party insurers.
  • May help with scheduling and workflow.

Ocularists:

  • Design, make, and fit eye prostheses and conformers, and may design and make implants.
  • Paint the iris and pupil of artificial eyes.
  • Clean and restore eye prostheses.
  • Advise patients about the loss of depth perception and the care and use of eye prostheses.
  • Repair and maintain production and laboratory equipment.
  • Consult with ophthalmologists about insertion of eye prostheses.

Prosthetists and orthotists:

  • Design, make, and fit prosthetic and orthotic appliances like artificial limbs, braces or supports.
  • Interpret physicians' specifications and examine and measure patients to develop working sketches of appliances.
  • Make and modify plaster casts of areas to receive prostheses or orthoses.
  • Fit, adjust, and repair appliances.
  • Advise patients in the use and care of prostheses and orthoses.
  • Supervise and direct the activities of prosthetic and orthotic technicians.

Prosthetic and orthotic technicians:

  • Assemble or build prosthetic and orthotic appliances according to drawings, measurements and plaster casts using a variety of materials like metals, plastics, and leathers.
  • Repair, rebuild, and modify prosthetic and orthotic appliances or orthopaedic footwear.
  • May take the body or limb measurements of patients.

Sample job titles

  • certified prosthetist-orthotist (CPO)
  • dietary technician
  • kidney dialysis technician
  • ocularist
  • orthotic technician
  • pharmacy technician
  • prosthetic aide
  • registered orthotic technician (R.T.O.)
  • registered prosthetic technician (R.T.P.)
  • surgical fitter

Skills

  • These jobs require good communication skills, the ability to work in a team, a methodical approach and attention to detail. Good near vision may be required. Ocularists and prosthetists also require patience and the ability to do precise work with their hands.

Job requirements

  • Dietary technicians require a two- to three-year college program in dietary technology and supervised practical training.
  • Pharmacy technicians usually require a two- to three-year college program in pharmaceutics.
  • Ocularists require completion of the ocularist training 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 high 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.

Other considerations

  • This is a grouping of jobs filled by a small number of highly specialized individuals. Openings for new positions may be rare. Prosthetic and orthotic technicians may become certified prosthetists or orthotists with an additional two years of experience as a registered prosthetic or orthotic technician and completion of certification examinations by the Canadian Board of Certification of Prosthetists and Orthotists.

By the numbers

Quick look

1,415

employed in 2016

77.4%

employed full-time

2.1%

self employed

90.5%
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9.5%
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35

median age

Compared to: All Health

36,515

employed in 2016

75.7%

employed full-time

9.6%

self employed

83.6%
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16.4%
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43.5

median age

Where will I likely work?

41.2%

Halifax

$28,452 median annual income
19.4%

Cape Breton

$24,916 median annual income
16.9%

North Shore

$25,586 median annual income
14.8%

Annapolis Valley

$28,945 median annual income
7.7%

Southern

$24,846 median annual income

Compared to: All NS Occupations

47.0%

Halifax

15.6%

North Shore

12.9%

Annapolis Valley

12.7%

Cape Breton

11.8%

Southern

Top Industries of Employment

78.5%

Retail trade

18.8%

Health care and social assistance

1.1%

Public administration

0.8%

Wholesale trade

0.8%

Manufacturing

What is the age of Employment?

37.0%

25-34

20.0%

45-54

19.0%

35-44

13.0%

15-24

10.0%

55-64

1.0%

65+

Compared to: All Health

24.0%

25-34

23.9%

45-54

21.9%

35-44

18.4%

55-64

7.7%

15-24

Top levels of education

51.9%

College Diploma

$28,814 median annual income
20.1%

Bachelor

$24,306 median annual income
19.4%

High school

$24,750 median annual income
3.2%

Trade Certification

$30,137 median annual income
2.1%

Diploma Below Bachelor

N/A

Compared to: All Health

38.4%

College Diploma

$40,033 median annual income
27.1%

Bachelor

$61,668 median annual income
8.7%

Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary, Optometry

$81,191 median annual income
6.8%

High school

$24,829 median annual income
5.1%

Master

$69,296 median annual income

Education & training

Orthoptics/Orthoptist

College or University Program

These programs prepare students, under the supervision of ophthalmologists, to analyse, evaluate, and treat specific disorders of vision, eye movement, and eye alignment in children and adults. They include courses in eye anatomy, neuroanatomy, physiology, pharmacology, ophthalmic optics, diagnostic testing and measurement, orthoptic treatment therapy, systemic ocular diseases and disorders, principles of surgery, examination techniques, patient education, child psychology and development, learning disabilities, medical writing, and record-keeping.

Institutions providing this program

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

Pharmacy Technician/Assistant

College or Trades Program

These programs prepare students, under the supervision of pharmacists, to prepare medications, provide medications and related assistance to patients, and manage pharmacy clinical and business operations. They include courses in medical and pharmaceutical terminology, principles of pharmacology and pharmaceutics, drug identification, pharmacy laboratory procedures, prescription interpretation, patient communication and education, safety procedures, record-keeping, measurement and testing techniques, pharmacy business operations, prescription preparation, logistics and dispensing operations, and applicable standards and regulations.

Institutions providing this program

CBBC Career College Inc. - Sydney Campus

Sydney, NS

Eastern College - Halifax

Halifax, NS

Nova Scotia Community College

Various, NS

CBBC Career College Inc. - Dartmouth Campus

Dartmouth, NS

Vision Science/Physiological Optics

University Program

These programs focus on the scientific study of vision, visual processes, and related phenomena and clinical research and treatment modalities. They include courses in ocular anatomy and physiology, microbiology of the eye, electrophysiology, neurophysiology, corneal physiology, photochemistry, psychophysics, visual biophysics and motor systems, sensory mechanisms and photoreception, eye circulation and metabolism, geometric and physical optics, ocular development across the lifespan, visual stimuli and perception, colour vision, eye motility, biometrics and measurement techniques, visual pathology, and environmental issues.

Institutions providing this program

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

Employment requirements & contacts

Regulations

Pharmacy Technician

Right to Title and Practice: This job is regulated. The job title is protected, and you may not use it without a professional licence. A licence shows that the holder has met provincial requirements and is required to legally do this work.

Regulating body:
Nova Scotia College of Pharmacists
Halifax, NS

Contacts

Orthotics Prosthetics Canada
Toronto, ON
American Society of Ocularists
Placitas, NM - USA