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What does an orthoptist do?

Updated January 8, 2025
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Orthoptist responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real orthoptist resumes:

  • Perform Tonometry (iCare, Tonopen).
  • Perform clinic work-ups/manifest refraction utilizing EMR, program and maintain laser equipment, clinical photography, and assist physicians during surgeries.
  • Project management and event coordinator responsibilities; Dr. Garcia hosts and attends numerous continuing education events yearly.

Orthoptist skills and personality traits

We calculated that 33% of Orthoptists are proficient in Prism, Eye Movements, and Exam Rooms.

We break down the percentage of Orthoptists that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Prism, 33%

    Provided Fresnel Prism and Bangerter Filter assessment and application.

  • Eye Movements, 24%

    Assessed visual acuity levels, focusing abilities, binocular function, and eye movements among patients.

  • Exam Rooms, 16%

    Assist back office team and maintain stock in exam rooms as time allowed.

  • Patient Education, 14%

    Coordinated and provided group and individual outpatient education to adult clients having cataract surgery.

  • Tonopen, 12%

    Experienced with IOP, using Tonopen, knowledge of eye drops, emails prescription and refills to pharmacy, for patients.

"prism," "eye movements," and "exam rooms" are among the most common skills that orthoptists use at work. You can find even more orthoptist responsibilities below, including:

See the full list of orthoptist skills

The three companies that hire the most orthoptists are:

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Compare different orthoptists

Orthoptist vs. Ophthalmic technician

An ophthalmic technician specializes in providing eye care services to patients under the supervision of an ophthalmologist. Among their responsibilities include conducting interviews, taking notes of the patients' symptoms, conducting eye examinations and tests, administering medication, and performing support tasks for ophthalmologists during procedures. They may also set-up and operate equipment, perform maintenance checks, and maintain the cleanliness of work areas. Moreover, an ophthalmic technician may perform clerical tasks such as preparing and processing documents, answering calls and correspondence, arranging appointments, and assisting patients in filling out forms.

The annual salary of ophthalmic technicians is $25,862 lower than the average salary of orthoptists.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both orthoptist and ophthalmic technician positions are skilled in prism, exam rooms, and patient education.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, orthoptist responsibilities require skills like "test results," "eye movements," "medical histories," and "routine exams." Meanwhile a typical ophthalmic technician has skills in areas such as "patients," "patient care," "ophthalmology," and "visual acuity." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

The education levels that ophthalmic technicians earn slightly differ from orthoptists. In particular, ophthalmic technicians are 7.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an orthoptist. Additionally, they're 1.7% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Orthoptist vs. Certified orthoptist

Certified orthoptist positions earn higher pay than orthoptist roles. They earn a $14,122 higher salary than orthoptists per year.

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that orthoptist responsibilities requires skills like "test results," "prism," "eye movements," and "exam rooms." But a certified orthoptist might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "clinical research," "treatment plan," "epic," and "grand rounds."

In general, certified orthoptists achieve lower levels of education than orthoptists. They're 11.1% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 1.7% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Types of orthoptist

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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