How To Become An Ophthalmic Technician: What It Is and Career Path

What is an ophthalmic technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Ophthalmic Technicians are medical personnel who assist ophthalmologists in taking care of the eye. They work in ophthalmologist offices, medical hospitals, or outpatient centers and provide technical services to patients. These services include administering eye medication, performing eye diagnosis and tests, and enlightening patients on eye care. Also, they keep the patient's eye history and perform procedures like keratometry, tonometry, and lensometry. They help the opthalmologist during operations. They also maintain the examination room and surgical equipment.

The main requirement for this position is a certification and licensing. Certifications like Certified Ophthalmic Technician, Certified Ophthalmic Medical Technologist, or Certified Ophthalmic Assistant may be required. Employers also require candidates to have a High school diploma or equivalent and previous work experience. You need communication and analytical skills. The salary of Ophthalmic Technicians ranges from $41,816 to $54,710. The average salary is $47,886 per year.

ScoreOphthalmic TechnicianUS Average

Salary

3.4

Avg. Salary $44,042

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.2

Growth rate 16%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.58%

Asian 5.85%

Black or African American 14.47%

Hispanic or Latino 12.28%

Unknown 4.68%

White 62.13%

Gender

female 83.18%

male 16.82%

Age - 40

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 40

Stress level

8.2

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.6

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

8.8

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an ophthalmic technician

Explore ophthalmic technician education requirements

Most common ophthalmic technician degrees

Bachelor's

40.4 %

Associate

24.9 %

High School Diploma

13.0 %

Start to develop specific ophthalmic technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	17.66%
Patient Care	6.18%
Ophthalmology	5.02%
Visual Acuity	4.55%
Visual Fields	4.34%

Complete relevant ophthalmic technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New ophthalmic technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an ophthalmic technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real ophthalmic technician resumes.

Gain additional ophthalmic technician certifications

Ophthalmic technician certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific ophthalmic technician certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for ophthalmic technicians include Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA) and Certified Ophthalmic Technician (COT).

More About Certifications

Research ophthalmic technician duties and responsibilities

Conduct computerized pre-test on patients including auto-refraction, automate visual field screenings and visual acuity.
Sterilize and set-up instruments for ophthalmic surgical procedures, assist with minor office surgery and laser treatments.
Perform vision examination; administer eye drops; obtain eye pressure using tonopen applanation.
Assist ophthalmologists in scribing during patient exams, retinoscopy, lensometry, laser therapy, and fluorescein angiograms.

Prepare your ophthalmic technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your ophthalmic technician resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an ophthalmic technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable ophthalmic technician resume templates

Build a professional ophthalmic technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your ophthalmic technician resume.