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The differences between ophthalmic technicians and certified ophthalmic surgical assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an ophthalmic technician and a certified ophthalmic surgical assistant. Additionally, a certified ophthalmic surgical assistant has an average salary of $44,864, which is higher than the $44,042 average annual salary of an ophthalmic technician.
The top three skills for an ophthalmic technician include patients, patient care and ophthalmology. The most important skills for a certified ophthalmic surgical assistant are patients, surgery, and in-office.
| Ophthalmic Technician | Certified Ophthalmic Surgical Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $44,042 | $44,864 |
| Hourly rate | $21.17 | $21.57 |
| Growth rate | 16% | - |
| Number of jobs | 19,063 | 59,884 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Ophthalmic technicians and certified ophthalmic surgical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Ophthalmic Technician | Certified Ophthalmic Surgical Assistant | |
| Average salary | $44,042 | $44,864 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $62,000 | Between $30,000 And $65,000 |
| Highest paying City | Portland, OR | - |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | - |
| Best paying company | Eye Consultants of Atlanta | - |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between an ophthalmic technician and a certified ophthalmic surgical assistant in terms of educational background:
| Ophthalmic Technician | Certified Ophthalmic Surgical Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Most common major | Biology | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between ophthalmic technicians' and certified ophthalmic surgical assistants' demographics:
| Ophthalmic Technician | Certified Ophthalmic Surgical Assistant | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 16.8% Female, 83.2% | Male, 10.1% Female, 89.9% |
| 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, 14.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 5.8% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |