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Certified ophthalmic surgical assistant vs ocular care technician

The differences between certified ophthalmic surgical assistants and ocular care technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a certified ophthalmic surgical assistant and an ocular care technician. Additionally, a certified ophthalmic surgical assistant has an average salary of $44,864, which is higher than the $34,992 average annual salary of an ocular care technician.

The top three skills for a certified ophthalmic surgical assistant include patients, surgery and in-office. The most important skills for an ocular care technician are medical history, , and .

Certified ophthalmic surgical assistant vs ocular care technician overview

Certified Ophthalmic Surgical AssistantOcular Care Technician
Yearly salary$44,864$34,992
Hourly rate$21.57$16.82
Growth rate--
Number of jobs59,88477,716
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 32%Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age4141
Years of experience22

Certified ophthalmic surgical assistant vs ocular care technician salary

Certified ophthalmic surgical assistants and ocular care technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Certified Ophthalmic Surgical AssistantOcular Care Technician
Average salary$44,864$34,992
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $65,000Between $27,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between certified ophthalmic surgical assistant and ocular care technician education

There are a few differences between a certified ophthalmic surgical assistant and an ocular care technician in terms of educational background:

Certified Ophthalmic Surgical AssistantOcular Care Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 32%Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common majorNursingBiology
Most common college--

Certified ophthalmic surgical assistant vs ocular care technician demographics

Here are the differences between certified ophthalmic surgical assistants' and ocular care technicians' demographics:

Certified Ophthalmic Surgical AssistantOcular Care Technician
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 10.1% Female, 89.9%Male, 51.2% Female, 48.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 14.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 5.8% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 14.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 5.8% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between certified ophthalmic surgical assistant and ocular care technician duties and responsibilities

Certified ophthalmic surgical assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage surgical scheduling, cataract evaluations, ultrasounds, keratometry, IOL selection, and preoperative exam for surgery.
  • Perform technical examination, testing and evaluation of cancer patients in outpatient setting and bedside.
  • Perform clinic work-ups/manifest refraction utilizing EMR, program and maintain laser equipment, clinical photography, and assist physicians during surgeries.
  • Project management and event coordinator responsibilities; Dr. Garcia hosts and attends numerous continuing education events yearly.

Ocular care technician example responsibilities.

  • Reduce patient wait time and obtain medical histories, vision acuity and intraocular measurements (tonopen).
  • Perform clinic work-ups/manifest refraction utilizing EMR, program and maintain laser equipment, clinical photography, and assist physicians during surgeries.
  • Greet patients and ensure accurate demographic and insurance information into their electronic chart following HiPPA compliance in a paperless practice.

Certified ophthalmic surgical assistant vs ocular care technician skills

Common certified ophthalmic surgical assistant skills
  • Patients, 29%
  • Surgery, 14%
  • In-Office, 6%
  • Laser Treatments, 6%
  • Medical History, 5%
  • IOL, 5%
Common ocular care technician skills
  • Medical History, 100%

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