Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between ophthalmic technicians and ophthalmic 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 an ophthalmic assistant. Additionally, an ophthalmic technician has an average salary of $44,042, which is higher than the $43,217 average annual salary of an ophthalmic assistant.
The top three skills for an ophthalmic technician include patients, patient care and ophthalmology. The most important skills for an ophthalmic assistant are patients, patient care, and ophthalmology.
| Ophthalmic Technician | Ophthalmic Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $44,042 | $43,217 |
| Hourly rate | $21.17 | $20.78 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 19,063 | 21,559 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An ophthalmic technician specializes in providing eye care services to patients under the supervision of an ophthalmologist. Among their responsibilities include conducting interviews, taking notes of the patients' symptoms, conducting eye examinations and tests, administering medication, and performing support tasks for ophthalmologists during procedures. They may also set-up and operate equipment, perform maintenance checks, and maintain the cleanliness of work areas. Moreover, an ophthalmic technician may perform clerical tasks such as preparing and processing documents, answering calls and correspondence, arranging appointments, and assisting patients in filling out forms.
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.
Ophthalmic technicians and ophthalmic assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Ophthalmic Technician | Ophthalmic Assistant | |
| Average salary | $44,042 | $43,217 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $62,000 | Between $30,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | Portland, OR | Vancouver, WA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Eye Consultants of Atlanta | Eye Consultants of Atlanta |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Transportation |
There are a few differences between an ophthalmic technician and an ophthalmic assistant in terms of educational background:
| Ophthalmic Technician | Ophthalmic Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Biology | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between ophthalmic technicians' and ophthalmic assistants' demographics:
| Ophthalmic Technician | Ophthalmic Assistant | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 16.8% Female, 83.2% | Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9% |
| 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% |