Optometric technician vs certified ophthalmic technician

The differences between optometric technicians and certified ophthalmic technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an optometric technician and a certified ophthalmic technician. Additionally, a certified ophthalmic technician has an average salary of $43,658, which is higher than the $30,928 average annual salary of an optometric technician.

The top three skills for an optometric technician include patients, customer service and patient care. The most important skills for a certified ophthalmic technician are patients, ophthalmology, and color vision.

Optometric technician vs certified ophthalmic technician overview

	Optometric Technician	Certified Ophthalmic Technician
Yearly salary	$30,928	$43,658
Hourly rate	$14.87	$20.99
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	33,412	49,836
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	2	2

Optometric technician vs certified ophthalmic technician salary

Optometric technicians and certified ophthalmic technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Optometric Technician	Certified Ophthalmic Technician
Average salary	$30,928	$43,658
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $39,000	Between $30,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between optometric technician and certified ophthalmic technician education

There are a few differences between an optometric technician and a certified ophthalmic technician in terms of educational background:

	Optometric Technician	Certified Ophthalmic Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	-	-

Optometric technician vs certified ophthalmic technician demographics

Here are the differences between optometric technicians' and certified ophthalmic technicians' demographics:

	Optometric Technician	Certified Ophthalmic Technician
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 14.7% Female, 85.3%	Male, 15.9% Female, 84.1%
Race ratio	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%	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 Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between optometric technician and certified ophthalmic technician duties and responsibilities

Optometric technician example responsibilities.

Maintain coating quality using adhesion testing and spectrophotometers, and manage coating hues and reflectance adjustments.
Preform pre-test on patients, using auto refractor, NCT and OCT and fundus photos.
Identify, reference and apply insurance coverage and present financial policies and arrangements accurately to patients.
Perform and interpret OCT and HVF.
Measure eye pressure with Tonopen and tonometer.
Maintain accurate and organize patient records, including EHR.

Certified ophthalmic technician example responsibilities.

Assess patients and document medical history.
Have used the goldmann, tonopen and the Perkins hand hold tonometer.
Perform examinations and interviews with patients.
Obtain intraocular pressure by applanation tonomentry or tonopen.
Perform clinic work-ups/manifest refraction utilizing EMR, program and maintain laser equipment, clinical photography, and assist physicians during surgeries.
Comply with all HIPAA regulations regarding patient information.

Optometric technician vs certified ophthalmic technician skills

Common optometric technician skills

Patients, 24%
Customer Service, 10%
Patient Care, 10%
Field Testing, 8%
Excellent Organizational, 7%
Pre-test, 5%

Common certified ophthalmic technician skills

Patients, 18%
Ophthalmology, 7%
Color Vision, 6%
Visual Acuity, 5%
Visual Fields, 5%
Allergies, 5%

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Optometric Technician vs Certified Ophthalmic Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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