How to hire an ophthalmology surgical technician

How to hire an ophthalmology surgical technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step ophthalmology surgical technician hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an ophthalmology surgical technician job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new ophthalmology surgical technician
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your ophthalmology surgical technician job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an ophthalmology surgical technician for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An ophthalmology surgical technician's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, ophthalmology surgical technicians from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of ophthalmology surgical technicians and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Ophthalmology Surgical Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Ophthalmology Surgical Technician		$13-30
   Technician	Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with... Show more	$11-27
   Optometric Technician	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... Show more	$11-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Field Testing
   • Visual Fields
   • Surgical Procedures
   • Visual Acuity
   • Diagnostic Tests
   • Medical History
   • OCT
   • Slit Lamp
   • Surgery Scheduling
   • Patient Education
   • Patient Flow
   • Tonopen
   • Patient History

   Check all skills

   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.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your ophthalmology surgical technician job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An ophthalmology surgical technician can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, ophthalmology surgical technicians' average salary in alabama is 44% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level ophthalmology surgical technicians 54% less than senior-level ophthalmology surgical technicians.
   • Certifications. An ophthalmology surgical technician with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an ophthalmology surgical technician's salary.

   Average ophthalmology surgical technician salary

   $43,454yearly

   $20.89 hourly rate

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   Entry-level ophthalmology surgical technician salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

4. Writing an ophthalmology surgical technician job description

   An ophthalmology surgical technician job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an ophthalmology surgical technician job description:

   Ophthalmology surgical technician job description example

   Harris Health is a nationally recognized health system comprising three teaching hospitals and an extensive network of ambulatory care centers serving the people of Harris County, Texas, since 1966. Staffed by the faculty, fellows and residents from two nationally ranked medical schools, Baylor College of Medicine and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Harris Health is the first healthcare system in Houston to receive the prestigious National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) designation for its network of patient-centered medical homes.
   
   Each year, Harris Health provides more than 1.8 million total outpatient visits through its more than 40 ambulatory care facilities. Additionally, Harris Health sees more than 177,000 emergency visits at its Level 1 and Level 3 trauma centers and 35,000 hospital admissions through its three hospitals: Ben Taub, LBJ and Quentin Mease.
   
   Established by voter referendum to enhance the level of charity care available in the community, Harris Health System has often received national recognition for serving those in need and for its achievements in operational excellence, such as being named to the 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 Most Wired Hospitals lists by the American Hospital Association's Hospitals & Health Networks magazine.
   
   Additionally, Harris Health System is pleased that each of its three hospitals - Ben Taub, Lyndon B. Johnson and Quentin Mease - achieved Pathway to Excellence™ designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
   Skills / Requirements
   
   Assist COA and Ophthalmologists in screening, diagnosing and treating of patients with eye disorders.
   
   Minimum Qualifications
   Education/Specialized Training/Licensure: Associates of Applied Science, or comparable, preferred.
   
   Work Experience (Years and Area): One year experience in Ophthalmology/Optometry setting preferred.
   
   Equipment Operated: Preferred experience with operation of Diagnostic ophthalmology equipment including fundus camera, keratometer, A/B scan, IOL calculations, tonometry, visual fields, etc.
   
   Special Requirements
   Communication Skills: Above Average Verbal (Heavy Public Contact), Bilingual Skills Required, Languages: Spanish and/or Viet
   
   Other Skills: Analytical, Medical Terms, P.C.
   
   Work Schedule: Flexible
   
   Other Requirements: Healthcare background preferred.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right ophthalmology surgical technician for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with ophthalmology surgical technicians they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit ophthalmology surgical technicians who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your ophthalmology surgical technician job on Zippia to find and attract quality ophthalmology surgical technician candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit ophthalmology surgical technicians, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new ophthalmology surgical technician

   Once you've decided on a perfect ophthalmology surgical technician candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new ophthalmology surgical technician. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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