Podiatric assistant vs optometric assistant

The differences between podiatric assistants and optometric assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a podiatric assistant and an optometric assistant. Additionally, an optometric assistant has an average salary of $98,734, which is higher than the $41,280 average annual salary of a podiatric assistant.

The top three skills for a podiatric assistant include patients, patient care and surgical procedures. The most important skills for an optometric assistant are patients, appointment scheduling, and customer service.

Podiatric assistant vs optometric assistant overview

	Podiatric Assistant	Optometric Assistant
Yearly salary	$41,280	$98,734
Hourly rate	$19.85	$47.47
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	47,459	142,550
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	12	12

Podiatric assistant vs optometric assistant salary

Podiatric assistants and optometric assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Podiatric Assistant	Optometric Assistant
Average salary	$41,280	$98,734
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $56,000	Between $66,000 And $147,000
Highest paying City	-	Baltimore, MD
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	QPS
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between podiatric assistant and optometric assistant education

There are a few differences between a podiatric assistant and an optometric assistant in terms of educational background:

	Podiatric Assistant	Optometric Assistant
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Podiatric assistant vs optometric assistant demographics

Here are the differences between podiatric assistants' and optometric assistants' demographics:

	Podiatric Assistant	Optometric Assistant
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 12.0% Female, 88.0%	Male, 9.6% Female, 90.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 9.2% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	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%

Differences between podiatric assistant and optometric assistant duties and responsibilities

Podiatric assistant example responsibilities.

Demonstrate strong relation skills in greeting and directing patients and managing incoming phone communications.
Record patient history, demographic information, and register patients.
Fit, order, and dispensing of DME, Orthotics, and diabetic shoes.
Make and order custom orthotics.
Demonstrate strong relation skills in greeting and directing patients and managing incoming phone communications.
Process requisitions and verify correct ICD-9 specific to psychology and chiropractic care.

Optometric assistant example responsibilities.

Manage telecommunications, provide patient telephone triage and documentation thereof.
Utilize organization skills in managing business operation keeping Dr. Rivera on schedule.
Maintain medical records in accordance with HIPAA.
Administer vaccines, EKG and Spirometry testing.
Test patients for glaucoma and cataracts on NCT machine.
Assist physicians with injections, EKG testing, treadmill tests.

Podiatric assistant vs optometric assistant skills

Common podiatric assistant skills

Patients, 44%
Patient Care, 8%
Surgical Procedures, 5%
Front Desk, 5%
Appointment Scheduling, 5%
Vital Signs, 4%

Common optometric assistant skills

Patients, 36%
Appointment Scheduling, 5%
Customer Service, 4%
Patient Care, 4%
Visual Acuity, 3%
Blood Pressure, 3%

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Podiatric Assistant
Podiatric Assistant vs Optometric Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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