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The differences between optometric technicians and monitor 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 monitor technician. Additionally, a monitor technician has an average salary of $35,460, 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 monitor technician are patients, EKG, and BLS.
| Optometric Technician | Monitor Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $30,928 | $35,460 |
| Hourly rate | $14.87 | $17.05 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 33,412 | 56,963 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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. They clean and inspect vision equipment and ensure that the facility is well-maintained. An optometric technician must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns, manage information on the database, and release customers' orders.
A monitor technician works in hospitals and other health care centers that provide treatment relating to heart health. They are also known as cardiac monitor technicians, who assist physicians and nurses with diagnosing and interpreting conditions related to the heart through several methods of monitoring and testing. Most of their work includes using machines and other medical technology in tracking patients' heart performance and check for any possible abnormalities. They monitor irregular heartbeats, arrhythmias, and cardiac arrest. They also use this technology to perform various tests on the heart but typically do not provide treatment.
Optometric technicians and monitor technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Optometric Technician | Monitor Technician | |
| Average salary | $30,928 | $35,460 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $39,000 | Between $28,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Medford, OR |
| Highest paying state | - | Utah |
| Best paying company | - | MLK Community Healthcare |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an optometric technician and a monitor technician in terms of educational background:
| Optometric Technician | Monitor Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Most common major | Biology | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | Duke University |
Here are the differences between optometric technicians' and monitor technicians' demographics:
| Optometric Technician | Monitor Technician | |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 14.7% Female, 85.3% | Male, 34.7% Female, 65.3% |
| 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, 10.6% Unknown, 3.3% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 13.9% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 8% |