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The differences between optometric technicians and ophthalmic medical 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 an ophthalmic medical technician. Additionally, an ophthalmic medical technician has an average salary of $44,422, 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 an ophthalmic medical technician are patients, patient care, and field testing.
| Optometric Technician | Ophthalmic Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $30,928 | $44,422 |
| Hourly rate | $14.87 | $21.36 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 33,412 | 59,876 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Optometric technicians and ophthalmic medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Optometric Technician | Ophthalmic Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $30,928 | $44,422 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $39,000 | Between $30,000 And $65,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Andover, MN |
| Highest paying state | - | Oregon |
| Best paying company | - | Omni Eye Specialists |
| Best paying industry | - | Education |
There are a few differences between an optometric technician and an ophthalmic medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Optometric Technician | Ophthalmic Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Biology | Medical Technician |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between optometric technicians' and ophthalmic medical technicians' demographics:
| Optometric Technician | Ophthalmic Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 14.7% Female, 85.3% | Male, 21.6% Female, 78.4% |
| 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% |