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Ophthalmologist vs ophthalmology surgical technician

The differences between ophthalmologists and ophthalmology surgical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an ophthalmologist, becoming an ophthalmology surgical technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an ophthalmologist has an average salary of $234,030, which is higher than the $43,454 average annual salary of an ophthalmology surgical technician.

The top three skills for an ophthalmologist include patients, ophthalmology and surgery. The most important skills for an ophthalmology surgical technician are patients, field testing, and visual fields.

Ophthalmologist vs ophthalmology surgical technician overview

OphthalmologistOphthalmology Surgical Technician
Yearly salary$234,030$43,454
Hourly rate$112.51$20.89
Growth rate7%16%
Number of jobs22,04333,527
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 30%Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Average age4841
Years of experience62

Ophthalmologist vs ophthalmology surgical technician salary

Ophthalmologists and ophthalmology surgical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

OphthalmologistOphthalmology Surgical Technician
Average salary$234,030$43,454
Salary rangeBetween $129,000 And $423,000Between $29,000 And $63,000
Highest paying CityAnchorage, AK-
Highest paying stateAlaska-
Best paying companyMayo Clinic-
Best paying industryHealth Care-

Differences between ophthalmologist and ophthalmology surgical technician education

There are a few differences between an ophthalmologist and an ophthalmology surgical technician in terms of educational background:

OphthalmologistOphthalmology Surgical Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 30%Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Most common majorMedicineMedical Assisting Services
Most common collegeUniversity of Virginia-

Ophthalmologist vs ophthalmology surgical technician demographics

Here are the differences between ophthalmologists' and ophthalmology surgical technicians' demographics:

OphthalmologistOphthalmology Surgical Technician
Average age4841
Gender ratioMale, 22.7% Female, 77.3%Male, 20.2% Female, 79.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 18.6% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%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 Percentage13%6%

Differences between ophthalmologist and ophthalmology surgical technician duties and responsibilities

Ophthalmologist example responsibilities.

  • Process medical and insurance claims, medical billing, CPT 4 and ICD 9 coding.
  • Perform tests: visual acuity, color vision, visual field, eye pressure, dilation, and OCT.
  • Work with EHR program, EMA.
  • Co-Manage cataracts, PRK/LASIK, DSEK, DMEK, and PTK.
  • Assist in diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders.
  • Comply with HIPAA and various other standard policies.
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Ophthalmology surgical technician example responsibilities.

  • Work daily with EHR, manual keratomerty, topography, pachymetry, visual field testing, macular OCT, and CCT.
  • Perform optical examinations obtaining patients chief complaints, demographic information and medical history.
  • Document medications, record allergies.
  • Discuss IOL options with patient.
  • Provide review/grammar correction of medical chart dictations for the doctor in the ophthalmology department.
  • Assist ophthalmologists in ophthalmic surgery, observe patients under anesthesia by using various health monitoring equipment.
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Ophthalmologist vs ophthalmology surgical technician skills

Common ophthalmologist skills
  • Patients, 26%
  • Ophthalmology, 19%
  • Surgery, 12%
  • Patient Care, 6%
  • Glaucoma, 4%
  • EMR, 4%
Common ophthalmology surgical technician skills
  • Patients, 31%
  • Field Testing, 7%
  • Visual Fields, 5%
  • Surgical Procedures, 5%
  • Visual Acuity, 4%
  • Diagnostic Tests, 4%

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