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The differences between unit 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 unit assistant and an optometric assistant. Additionally, an optometric assistant has an average salary of $98,734, which is higher than the $33,802 average annual salary of a unit assistant.
The top three skills for a unit assistant include patients, customer service and HIPAA. The most important skills for an optometric assistant are patients, appointment scheduling, and customer service.
| Unit Assistant | Optometric Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $33,802 | $98,734 |
| Hourly rate | $16.25 | $47.47 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 174,425 | 142,550 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A unit assistant is responsible for performing administrative duties within a department of a health care institution, ensuring that the patients receive the highest quality care services for their concerns and needs. Unit assistants assist the patients and the visitors, confirm their appointments, and direct them to the correct personnel or medical department. They also manage the adequacy of medical supplies and report defective equipment and machine to the maintenance for immediate repairs or replacements. A unit assistant must be highly organizational, especially on storing medical records and updating patients' information on the database.
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.
Unit assistants and optometric assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Unit Assistant | Optometric Assistant | |
| Average salary | $33,802 | $98,734 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $44,000 | Between $66,000 And $147,000 |
| Highest paying City | Westfield, MA | Baltimore, MD |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | UC Santa Barbara | QPS |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a unit assistant and an optometric assistant in terms of educational background:
| Unit Assistant | Optometric Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between unit assistants' and optometric assistants' demographics:
| Unit Assistant | Optometric Assistant | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.0% Female, 70.0% | Male, 9.6% Female, 90.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 9.5% White, 55.9% 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% |