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The differences between ophthalmic assistants and optometrists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an optometrist has an average salary of $187,654, which is higher than the $43,217 average annual salary of an ophthalmic assistant.
The top three skills for an ophthalmic assistant include patients, patient care and ophthalmology. The most important skills for an optometrist are patients, patient care, and diagnosis.
| Ophthalmic Assistant | Optometrist | |
| Yearly salary | $43,217 | $187,654 |
| Hourly rate | $20.78 | $90.22 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 21,559 | 20,993 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
An ophthalmic assistant works with an ophthalmologist and assists with recording patient information, updating patient records, and obtaining medical records. You may also be required to book and follow up on patient appointments. Ophthalmic assistants counsel patients about treatment and care and may be required to take ocular measurements of patients or administer medication. Ophthalmic assistants do a lot of customer service work giving patients information regarding eye care and explaining to patients procedures and medications.
A licensed optometrist is primarily responsible for the vision and eye care of clients, treating different conditions such as astigmatism, nearsightedness, and farsightedness. Their duties mostly revolve around performing eye and vision tests, diagnosing issues, providing consultations, prescribing corrective glasses and lenses, and educating clients on proper eye care methods. Furthermore, an optometrist must maintain records of all cases and treatment plans, and supervise support staff should they choose to work at a private clinic or a similar setting.
Ophthalmic assistants and optometrists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Ophthalmic Assistant | Optometrist | |
| Average salary | $43,217 | $187,654 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $62,000 | Between $94,000 And $373,000 |
| Highest paying City | Vancouver, WA | Greensboro, NC |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | North Carolina |
| Best paying company | Eye Consultants of Atlanta | Mayo Clinic |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an ophthalmic assistant and an optometrist in terms of educational background:
| Ophthalmic Assistant | Optometrist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Optometry |
| Most common college | - | University of California, Berkeley |
Here are the differences between ophthalmic assistants' and optometrists' demographics:
| Ophthalmic Assistant | Optometrist | |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9% | Male, 25.9% Female, 74.1% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 1.4% Unknown, 3.0% Hispanic or Latino, 5.2% Asian, 17.1% White, 72.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 18% |