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Optical assistant vs contact lens fitter

The differences between optical assistants and contact lens fitters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a contact lens fitter has an average salary of $61,893, which is higher than the $39,251 average annual salary of an optical assistant.

The top three skills for an optical assistant include patients, HIPAA and computer system. The most important skills for a contact lens fitter are R, EMR, and .

Optical assistant vs contact lens fitter overview

Optical AssistantContact Lens Fitter
Yearly salary$39,251$61,893
Hourly rate$18.87$29.76
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs2,9783,203
Job satisfaction-4
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 32%Associate Degree, 42%
Average age4444
Years of experience--

Optical assistant vs contact lens fitter salary

Optical assistants and contact lens fitters have different pay scales, as shown below.

Optical AssistantContact Lens Fitter
Average salary$39,251$61,893
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $57,000Between $41,000 And $93,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between optical assistant and contact lens fitter education

There are a few differences between an optical assistant and a contact lens fitter in terms of educational background:

Optical AssistantContact Lens Fitter
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 32%Associate Degree, 42%
Most common majorBusinessBiology
Most common collegeEmory UniversityDuke University

Optical assistant vs contact lens fitter demographics

Here are the differences between optical assistants' and contact lens fitters' demographics:

Optical AssistantContact Lens Fitter
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 13.0% Female, 87.0%Male, 41.7% Female, 58.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 9.1% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 8.1% White, 69.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage13%13%

Differences between optical assistant and contact lens fitter duties and responsibilities

Optical assistant example responsibilities.

  • Maintain coating quality using adhesion testing and spectrophotometers, and manage coating hues and reflectance adjustments.
  • Book appointments when the Dr's office is closed.
  • Take measurements before turning frames and Rx over to the lab to have glasses make.
  • Acquire, comply with and obtain a thorough knowledge and understanding of HIPPA and OSHA practices.
  • Verify and confirm Rx's from the lab, work with computers and fax machines daily.
  • Order new frames from leading suppliers, reconcile statements from vendors and process VSP and eyem claims.
  • Show more

Contact lens fitter example responsibilities.

  • Maintain coating quality using adhesion testing and spectrophotometers, and manage coating hues and reflectance adjustments.
  • Schedule appointments, insurance filing and pretest patients for exams using various instrumentation.
  • Utilize schematics to troubleshoot tank electronics.

Optical assistant vs contact lens fitter skills

Common optical assistant skills
  • Patients, 15%
  • HIPAA, 15%
  • Computer System, 14%
  • Data Entry, 13%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 12%
  • Telephone Inquiries, 11%
Common contact lens fitter skills
  • R, 53%
  • EMR, 47%

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