Responsible for assisting the doctor with providing thorough comprehensive visual exams, medical exams, office visits, in-office minor medical procedures, and contact lens follow-ups by performing preliminary testing, electronic medical record entries, contact lens classes, support duties, and post exam follow-up.
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
+ Requires a High school diploma or GED.
+ Requires basic math skills.
+ Previous customer service or optometric tech experience preferred.
+ Computer and/or electronic medical records knowledge preferred.
+ Retail and/or hospitality and/or customer service experience preferred.
Overview
Under the leadership of President and CEO Robert G. Riney, Henry Ford Health is a
$6 billion integrated health system comprised of six hospitals, a health plan, and 250+ sites
including medical centers, walk-in and urgent care clinics, pharmacy, eye care facilities and
other healthcare retail. Established in 1915 by auto industry pioneer Henry Ford, the health system
now has 32,000 employees and remains home to the 1,900-member Henry Ford Medical Group, one
of the nation's oldest physician groups. An additional 2,200 physicians are also affiliated with the
health system through the Henry Ford Physician Network. Henry Ford is also one of the region's
major academic medical centers, receiving between $90-$100 million in annual research funding and
remaining Michigan's fourth largest NIH-funded institution. Also an active participant in medical
education and training, the health system has trained nearly 40% of physicians currently practicing
in the state and also provides education and training for other health professionals including nurses,
pharmacists, radiology and respiratory technicians. visit HenryFord.com.
Benefits
Whether it's offering a new medical option, helping you make healthier lifestyle choices or
making the employee enrollment selection experience easier, it's all about choice. Henry
Ford Health has a new approach for its employee benefits program - My Choice
Rewards. My Choice Rewards is a program as diverse as the people it serves. There are
dozens of options for all of our employees including compensation, benefits, work/life balance
and learning - options that enhance your career and add value to your personal life. As an
employee you are provided access to Retirement Programs, an Employee Assistance Program
(Henry Ford Enhanced), Tuition Reimbursement, Paid Time Off, Employee Health and Wellness, and a whole host of other benefits and services. Employee's classified as contingent status are not eligible for benefits.
Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer
Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer Henry Ford Health is
committed to the hiring, advancement and fair treatment of all individuals without regard to
race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, size, height,
weight, marital status, family status, gender identity, sexual orientation, and genetic information,
or any other protected status in accordance with applicable federal and state laws.
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How to hire an optometric assistant
Optometric assistant hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring optometric assistants in the United States:
- There are currently 24,338 optometric assistants in the US, as well as 142,550 job openings.
- Optometric assistants are in the highest demand in Dearborn, MI, with 6 current job openings.
- The median cost to hire an optometric assistant is $1,633.
- It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
- Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
- On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new optometric assistant to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.
How to hire an optometric assistant, step by step
To hire an optometric assistant, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire an optometric assistant:
Here's a step-by-step optometric assistant hiring guide:
- Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
- Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
- Step 3: Make a budget
- Step 4: Write an optometric assistant job description
- Step 5: Post your job
- Step 6: Interview candidates
- Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new optometric assistant
- Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist
What does an optometric assistant do?
An optometric assistant performs a variety of support tasks to assist optometrists and maintain a smooth flow of operations at clinics. They typically greet clients and identify their eye and vision care needs, answer inquiries, gather patient histories and other information, prepare and assist the clients for vision tests, and administer eye drops. They may also perform clerical tasks such as processing documents, organizing files, handling calls and correspondence, liaising with external partners such as suppliers and vendors, and updating databases. Moreover, an optometric assistant may also adjust and repair glasses, all according to the clients' needs.
Post an optometric assistant job for free, promote it for a fee
Identify your hiring needs
The optometric assistant hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.
Determine employee vs contractor statusIs the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?An optometric assistant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, optometric assistants 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.
Here's a comparison of optometric assistant salaries for various roles:
Type of Optometric Assistant Description Hourly rate Optometric Assistant Medical assistants complete administrative and clinical tasks in the offices of physicians, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities. Their duties vary with the location, specialty, and size of the practice. $31-70 Optical Technician Optical lab technicians, also known as ophthalmic laboratory technicians, create prescription eyeglasses and contact lenses. They work together with optometrists, opticians, and ophthalmologists... Show more $12-25 Medical Assisting Extern A medical assisting extern is responsible for supporting the medical team in ensuring that the patients are offered the best care services by providing treatments and medications. Medical assisting externs' duties include practicing their medical skills by shadowing on medical professionals' activities, assisting patients with their inquiries and concerns, facilitating medical procedures with the doctor's supervision, and learning to operate medical tools and equipment as needed... Show more $12-23 Create an ideal candidate profile
Common skills:- Patients
- Appointment Scheduling
- Customer Service
- Patient Care
- Visual Acuity
- Blood Pressure
- Medical History
- Visual Fields
- Front Desk
- Vision Examination
- Exam Rooms
- Patient History
- Patient Appointments
- R
Responsibilities:- Manage telecommunications, provide patient telephone triage and documentation thereof.
- Utilize organization skills in managing business operation keeping Dr. Rivera on schedule.
- Maintain medical records in accordance with HIPAA.
- Administer vaccines, EKG and Spirometry testing.
- Test patients for glaucoma and cataracts on NCT machine.
- Assist physicians with injections, EKG testing, treadmill tests.
Make a budget
Including a salary range in your optometric assistant job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An optometric assistant can vary based on:
- Location. For example, optometric assistants' average salary in alabama is 52% less than in massachusetts.
- Seniority. Entry-level optometric assistants 55% less than senior-level optometric assistants.
- Certifications. An optometric assistant 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 optometric assistant's salary.
Average optometric assistant salary
$98,734yearly
$47.47 hourly rateEntry-level optometric assistant salary$66,000 yearly salaryUpdated December 19, 2025Average optometric assistant salary by state
Rank State Avg. salary Hourly rate 1 Maryland $129,297 $62 2 California $127,481 $61 3 District of Columbia $120,845 $58 4 Connecticut $118,501 $57 5 Ohio $116,263 $56 6 Washington $109,953 $53 7 Illinois $102,757 $49 8 Michigan $102,651 $49 9 Virginia $94,979 $46 10 Colorado $90,175 $43 11 North Dakota $87,911 $42 12 Texas $86,157 $41 13 North Carolina $80,355 $39 14 Tennessee $76,172 $37 Average optometric assistant salary by company
Rank Company Average salary Hourly rate Job openings 1 QPS $83,968 $40.37 2 GPAC $82,096 $39.47 3 Pearle Vision $80,586 $38.74 18 4 AxessPointe Community Health Centers $76,384 $36.72 6 5 Eye Center of Texas $72,562 $34.89 6 The Eye Care Group $71,756 $34.50 29 7 Kaiser Permanente $70,314 $33.80 120 8 ALLEGANY $60,937 $29.30 9 Sanford Health $53,049 $25.50 490 10 Henry Ford Health System $52,995 $25.48 11 Henry Ford Village $40,647 $19.54 136 12 The Henry Ford $35,871 $17.25 Writing an optometric assistant job description
An optometric assistant 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. To help get you started, here's an example of an optometric assistant job description:
Optometric assistant job description example
Post your job
To find optometric assistants for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:
- Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
- Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any optometric assistants they would recommend.
- Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level optometric assistants with the right educational background.
- Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.
Interview candidates
Your first interview with optometric assistant candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.
Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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.
Send a job offer and onboard your new optometric assistant
Once you've decided on a perfect optometric assistant 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 also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.
To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.
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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How much does it cost to hire an optometric assistant?
Before you start to hire optometric assistants, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire optometric assistants pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.
Optometric assistants earn a median yearly salary is $98,734 a year in the US. However, if you're looking to find optometric assistants for hire on a contract or per-project basis, hourly rates typically range between $31 and $70.
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Updated December 19, 2025