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The differences between optometric assistants and medical assistant externships can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an optometric assistant and a medical assistant externship. Additionally, an optometric assistant has an average salary of $98,734, which is higher than the $35,460 average annual salary of a medical assistant externship.
The top three skills for an optometric assistant include patients, appointment scheduling and customer service. The most important skills for a medical assistant externship are patients, vital signs, and EKG.
| Optometric Assistant | Medical Assistant Externship | |
| Yearly salary | $98,734 | $35,460 |
| Hourly rate | $47.47 | $17.05 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 142,550 | 172,671 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Diploma, 31% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
Medical assistant externs are medical school students who took the opportunity to get on-the-job training at a medical facility, usually a hospital. They spend a set amount of time in the facility. Medical assistant externs do job shadowing. They join their mentors, who are usually doctors or other health professionals, in their daily activities. Unlike usual on-the-job trainees, medical assistant externs do not really work on administrative activities. Instead, they are given the opportunity to truly be exposed to the actual work in a medical facility. They experience talking to patients and their families, performing basic medical tasks under the supervision of a doctor, and interpreting laboratory results with their mentors.
Optometric assistants and medical assistant externships have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Optometric Assistant | Medical Assistant Externship | |
| Average salary | $98,734 | $35,460 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $147,000 | Between $23,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | - |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | - |
| Best paying company | QPS | - |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | - |
There are a few differences between an optometric assistant and a medical assistant externship in terms of educational background:
| Optometric Assistant | Medical Assistant Externship | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Diploma, 31% |
| Most common major | Business | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between optometric assistants' and medical assistant externships' demographics:
| Optometric Assistant | Medical Assistant Externship | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 9.6% Female, 90.4% | Male, 15.3% Female, 84.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 22.0% Asian, 9.8% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 24.9% Asian, 9.3% White, 50.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |