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The differences between ophthalmic technicians and optometric technicians 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 optometric technician. Additionally, an ophthalmic technician has an average salary of $44,042, which is higher than the $30,928 average annual salary of an optometric technician.
The top three skills for an ophthalmic technician include patients, patient care and ophthalmology. The most important skills for an optometric technician are patients, customer service, and patient care.
| Ophthalmic Technician | Optometric Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $44,042 | $30,928 |
| Hourly rate | $21.17 | $14.87 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 19,063 | 33,412 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| 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 optometric technician is responsible for performing administrative and clerical tasks to assist patients with their vision problems and needs. Optometric technicians work in the laboratory, constructing glasses and lenses according to the ophthalmologist's advice. They clean and inspect vision equipment and ensure that the facility is well-maintained. An optometric technician must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns, manage information on the database, and release customers' orders.
Ophthalmic technicians and optometric technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Ophthalmic Technician | Optometric Technician | |
| Average salary | $44,042 | $30,928 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $62,000 | Between $24,000 And $39,000 |
| 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 an optometric technician in terms of educational background:
| Ophthalmic Technician | Optometric Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between ophthalmic technicians' and optometric technicians' demographics:
| Ophthalmic Technician | Optometric Technician | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 16.8% Female, 83.2% | Male, 14.7% Female, 85.3% |
| 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% |