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The differences between assistants-at surgery and optometric assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an assistant-at-surgery and an optometric assistant. Additionally, an optometric assistant has an average salary of $98,734, which is higher than the $81,630 average annual salary of an assistant-at-surgery.
The top three skills for an assistant-at-surgery include patients, surgical procedures and HIPAA. The most important skills for an optometric assistant are patients, appointment scheduling, and customer service.
| Assistant-At-Surgery | Optometric Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $81,630 | $98,734 |
| Hourly rate | $39.25 | $47.47 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 154,070 | 142,550 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
An assistant at surgery is a medical professional who assists surgeons and nurses during surgical operations and other procedures. They are responsible for setting up and maintaining the cleanliness of operating rooms, preparing and sanitizing tools and equipment, understanding the operations' course, and preparing the patients pre-surgery through interviews and assessments. During the surgery, they provide direct assistance to the surgeon by handing the correct tools, monitoring the patients' vital signs, attaching tubes, and even closing wounds. Moreover, as an assistant at surgery, it is essential to be proactive and have a clear mind presence.
An optometric assistant performs a variety of support tasks to assist optometrists and maintain a smooth flow of operations at clinics. They typically greet clients and identify their eye and vision care needs, answer inquiries, gather patient histories and other information, prepare and assist the clients for vision tests, and administer eye drops. They may also perform clerical tasks such as processing documents, organizing files, handling calls and correspondence, liaising with external partners such as suppliers and vendors, and updating databases. Moreover, an optometric assistant may also adjust and repair glasses, all according to the clients' needs.
Assistants-at surgery and optometric assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant-At-Surgery | Optometric Assistant | |
| Average salary | $81,630 | $98,734 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $215,000 | Between $66,000 And $147,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Baltimore, MD |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Physician Affiliate Group of New York | QPS |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an assistant-at-surgery and an optometric assistant in terms of educational background:
| Assistant-At-Surgery | Optometric Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between assistants-at surgery' and optometric assistants' demographics:
| Assistant-At-Surgery | Optometric Assistant | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.5% Female, 74.5% | Male, 9.6% Female, 90.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 23.3% Asian, 9.7% White, 51.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 22.0% Asian, 9.8% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |