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The differences between public health 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 public health assistant and an optometric assistant. Additionally, an optometric assistant has an average salary of $98,734, which is higher than the $38,433 average annual salary of a public health assistant.
The top three skills for a public health assistant include NYC, school health and patients. The most important skills for an optometric assistant are patients, appointment scheduling, and customer service.
| Public Health Assistant | Optometric Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $38,433 | $98,734 |
| Hourly rate | $18.48 | $47.47 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 105,104 | 142,550 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Public Health Assistants will require good communication, teamwork, initiative, interpersonal, problem-solving, and analytical skills for this career choice, as well as a strong work ethic and the ability to be flexible and adaptable. Applicants can expect a payout of around $34K per year in this career choice, which will also require a diploma or GED, plus a master's degree in public health, after which they will be required to improve individual and societal health by monitoring healthy lifestyles, as well as practice preventative measures for injuries and disease and controlling infectious diseases. Their health concerns range from small communities to the entire planet.
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.
Public health assistants and optometric assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Health Assistant | Optometric Assistant | |
| Average salary | $38,433 | $98,734 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $54,000 | Between $66,000 And $147,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Baltimore, MD |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Emory Healthcare | QPS |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a public health assistant and an optometric assistant in terms of educational background:
| Public Health Assistant | Optometric Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Public Health | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between public health assistants' and optometric assistants' demographics:
| Public Health Assistant | Optometric Assistant | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 21.6% Female, 78.4% | Male, 9.6% Female, 90.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 24.1% Asian, 9.3% White, 50.0% 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% |