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Eye specialist vs ophthalmologist

The differences between eye specialists and ophthalmologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an ophthalmologist has an average salary of $234,030, which is higher than the $71,371 average annual salary of an eye specialist.

The top three skills for an eye specialist include patients, appointment scheduling and surgery. The most important skills for an ophthalmologist are patients, ophthalmology, and surgery.

Eye specialist vs ophthalmologist overview

Eye SpecialistOphthalmologist
Yearly salary$71,371$234,030
Hourly rate$34.31$112.51
Growth rate10%7%
Number of jobs5,90422,043
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 32%Bachelor's Degree, 30%
Average age4548
Years of experience-6

Eye specialist vs ophthalmologist salary

Eye specialists and ophthalmologists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Eye SpecialistOphthalmologist
Average salary$71,371$234,030
Salary rangeBetween $31,000 And $162,000Between $129,000 And $423,000
Highest paying City-Anchorage, AK
Highest paying state-Alaska
Best paying company-Mayo Clinic
Best paying industry-Health Care

Differences between eye specialist and ophthalmologist education

There are a few differences between an eye specialist and an ophthalmologist in terms of educational background:

Eye SpecialistOphthalmologist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 32%Bachelor's Degree, 30%
Most common majorBusinessMedicine
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Virginia

Eye specialist vs ophthalmologist demographics

Here are the differences between eye specialists' and ophthalmologists' demographics:

Eye SpecialistOphthalmologist
Average age4548
Gender ratioMale, 22.7% Female, 77.3%Male, 22.7% Female, 77.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 1.5% Unknown, 3.1% Hispanic or Latino, 5.4% Asian, 17.0% White, 72.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 18.6% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage18%13%

Differences between eye specialist and ophthalmologist duties and responsibilities

Eye specialist example responsibilities.

  • Prepare educational documents on cataract surgery for patients and staff at clinic.
  • Assist the doctors with patients, using digital, traditional cameras, oct, filling and customer assistance.
  • Consult with and refer patients to ophthalmologist or other health care practitioner if additional medical treatment is determined necessary.
  • Perform soft and RGP contact lens fittings and evaluations, including toric, monovision and post corneal surgery lenses.

Ophthalmologist example responsibilities.

  • Process medical and insurance claims, medical billing, CPT 4 and ICD 9 coding.
  • Perform tests: visual acuity, color vision, visual field, eye pressure, dilation, and OCT.
  • Work with EHR program, EMA.
  • Co-Manage cataracts, PRK/LASIK, DSEK, DMEK, and PTK.
  • Assist in diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders.
  • Comply with HIPAA and various other standard policies.
  • Show more

Eye specialist vs ophthalmologist skills

Common eye specialist skills
  • Patients, 39%
  • Appointment Scheduling, 16%
  • Surgery, 5%
  • Quality Customer Service, 4%
  • Front Desk, 4%
  • Patient Charts, 3%
Common ophthalmologist skills
  • Patients, 26%
  • Ophthalmology, 19%
  • Surgery, 12%
  • Patient Care, 6%
  • Glaucoma, 4%
  • EMR, 4%

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