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The differences between contact lens technicians and optical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an optical technician has an average salary of $36,908, which is higher than the $29,708 average annual salary of a contact lens technician.
The top three skills for a contact lens technician include patients, customer service and appointment scheduling. The most important skills for an optical technician are patients, chrome, and dexterity.
| Contact Lens Technician | Optical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $29,708 | $36,908 |
| Hourly rate | $14.28 | $17.74 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 7,585 | 29,866 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 30% | Associate Degree, 32% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
Contact lens technicians and optical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Contact Lens Technician | Optical Technician | |
| Average salary | $29,708 | $36,908 |
| Salary range | Between $18,000 And $48,000 | Between $25,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Hayward, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Alaska |
| Best paying company | - | AMETEK |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a contact lens technician and an optical technician in terms of educational background:
| Contact Lens Technician | Optical Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 30% | Associate Degree, 32% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities |
Here are the differences between contact lens technicians' and optical technicians' demographics:
| Contact Lens Technician | Optical Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 12.9% Female, 87.1% | Male, 36.8% Female, 63.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 21.5% Asian, 9.3% White, 56.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 9.1% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 13% |