Paraoptometric vs ocular care technician

The differences between paraoptometrics and ocular care technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a paraoptometric and an ocular care technician. Additionally, an ocular care technician has an average salary of $34,992, which is higher than the $34,505 average annual salary of a paraoptometric.

The top three skills for a paraoptometric include patients, scheduling appointments and patient history. The most important skills for an ocular care technician are medical history, , and .

Paraoptometric vs ocular care technician overview

	Paraoptometric	Ocular Care Technician
Yearly salary	$34,505	$34,992
Hourly rate	$16.59	$16.82
Growth rate	16%	-
Number of jobs	828	77,716
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	2	2

Paraoptometric vs ocular care technician salary

Paraoptometrics and ocular care technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Paraoptometric	Ocular Care Technician
Average salary	$34,505	$34,992
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $44,000	Between $27,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between paraoptometric and ocular care technician education

There are a few differences between a paraoptometric and an ocular care technician in terms of educational background:

	Paraoptometric	Ocular Care Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Biology
Most common college	-	-

Paraoptometric vs ocular care technician demographics

Here are the differences between paraoptometrics' and ocular care technicians' demographics:

	Paraoptometric	Ocular Care Technician
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 8.8% Female, 91.2%	Male, 51.2% Female, 48.8%
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 paraoptometric and ocular care technician duties and responsibilities

Paraoptometric example responsibilities.

Utilize organization skills in managing business operation keeping Dr. Rivera on schedule.
Follow strict HIPAA privacy protocols inpatient record management and use.
Aid the doctor during the exam and document the findings in the EHR.
Communicate relevant information on care and handling of contact lenses and educate patients on proper insertion and removal of contact lenses.
Preform detailed pretesting of all incoming patients.
Perform clinic work-ups/manifest refraction utilizing EMR, program and maintain laser equipment, clinical photography, and assist physicians during surgeries.

Ocular care technician example responsibilities.

Reduce patient wait time and obtain medical histories, vision acuity and intraocular measurements (tonopen).
Perform clinic work-ups/manifest refraction utilizing EMR, program and maintain laser equipment, clinical photography, and assist physicians during surgeries.
Greet patients and ensure accurate demographic and insurance information into their electronic chart following HiPPA compliance in a paperless practice.

Paraoptometric vs ocular care technician skills

Common paraoptometric skills

Patients, 38%
Scheduling Appointments, 6%
Patient History, 5%
Visual Acuity, 4%
Blood Pressure, 4%
Medical History, 4%

Common ocular care technician skills

Medical History, 100%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Paraoptometric
Paraoptometric vs Ocular Care Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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