Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between optometric technicians and optometric assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an optometric technician, becoming an optometric assistant takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an optometric assistant has an average salary of $98,734, 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 optometric assistant are patients, appointment scheduling, and customer service.
| Optometric Technician | Optometric Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $30,928 | $98,734 |
| Hourly rate | $14.87 | $47.47 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 33,412 | 142,550 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 41 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
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.
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.
Optometric technicians and optometric assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Optometric Technician | Optometric Assistant | |
| Average salary | $30,928 | $98,734 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $39,000 | Between $66,000 And $147,000 |
| 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 technician and an optometric assistant in terms of educational background:
| Optometric Technician | Optometric Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Biology | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between optometric technicians' and optometric assistants' demographics:
| Optometric Technician | Optometric Assistant | |
| Average age | 41 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 14.7% Female, 85.3% | Male, 9.6% Female, 90.4% |
| 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, 9.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 22.0% Asian, 9.8% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |