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The differences between health assistants 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 a health assistant and an optometric assistant. Additionally, an optometric assistant has an average salary of $98,734, which is higher than the $31,960 average annual salary of a health assistant.
The top three skills for a health assistant include patients, CPR and customer service. The most important skills for an optometric assistant are patients, appointment scheduling, and customer service.
| Health Assistant | Optometric Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $31,960 | $98,734 |
| Hourly rate | $15.37 | $47.47 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 100,084 | 142,550 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A health assistant is responsible for providing quality care for the patients under the supervision of registered nurses and attending physicians. Health assistants perform basic medical procedures, such as collecting specimens for examinations, checking the patients' conditions, and administering required medications. They also assist health care professionals in conducting complex medical processes by preparing the equipment and ensuring the cleanliness of the operating room. A health assistant keeps an organized record of medical charts for the doctor's reference and may also coordinate with the patient's family for medical updates.
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.
Health assistants and optometric assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Health Assistant | Optometric Assistant | |
| Average salary | $31,960 | $98,734 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $43,000 | Between $66,000 And $147,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cambridge, MA | Baltimore, MD |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Boston Public Schools | QPS |
| Best paying industry | Government | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a health assistant and an optometric assistant in terms of educational background:
| Health Assistant | Optometric Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between health assistants' and optometric assistants' demographics:
| Health Assistant | Optometric Assistant | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 17.9% Female, 82.1% | Male, 9.6% Female, 90.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 22.4% Asian, 9.5% White, 52.7% 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% |