Ophthalmic Medical Technicians
Health ScienceO*NET 29-2057.00United States
Assist ophthalmologists by performing ophthalmic clinical functions. May administer eye exams, administer eye medications, and instruct the patient in care and use of corrective lenses.
- Median annual earnings
- $45,562
- Projected change
- +21%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 73.45K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
59.1% of the workforce
Growing to 88.88K by 2035
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The work
What ophthalmic medical technicians do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Take and document patients' medical histories.
- Measure visual acuity, including near, distance, pinhole, or dynamic visual acuity, using appropriate tests.
- Operate ophthalmic equipment, such as autorefractors, phoropters, tomographs, or retinoscopes.
- Take anatomical or functional ocular measurements of the eye or surrounding tissue, such as axial length measurements.
- Conduct tonometry or tonography tests to measure intraocular pressure.
- Measure and record lens power, using lensometers.
- Administer topical ophthalmic or oral medications.
- Conduct visual field tests to measure field of vision.
- Assist physicians in performing ophthalmic procedures, including surgery.
- Conduct ocular motility tests to measure function of eye muscles.
- Measure corneal curvature with keratometers or ophthalmometers to aid in the diagnosis of conditions, such as astigmatism.
- Clean or sterilize ophthalmic or surgical instruments.
- Maintain ophthalmic instruments or equipment.
- Instruct patients in the care and use of contact lenses.
- Assess refractive conditions of eyes, using retinoscopes.
- Call patients to inquire about their post-operative status or recovery.
- Assist patients to insert or remove contact lenses.
- Conduct binocular disparity tests to assess depth perception.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $35,701
- 25th percentile
- $38,158
- 50th percentile
- $45,562
- 75th percentile
- $51,436
- 90th percentile
- $61,998
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $45,562 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+21%much faster than average
202573,450 jobs
2035 projected88,884 jobs
15,434 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 59.1%
- Certificate
- 27.3%
- Associate degree
- 9.1%
- Some college
- 4.6%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Optometric Technicians5,512 postings
- 02Ophthalmic Technicians5,146 postings
- 03Ophthalmic Assistants1,841 postings
- 04Optometric Assistants1,277 postings
- 05Optical Technicians416 postings
- 06Ophthalmic Scribes346 postings
- 07Ophthalmology Technicians326 postings
- 08Ophthalmic Technicians/Scribes241 postings
- 09Certified Ophthalmic Technicians198 postings
- 10Opticians/Optometric Technicians162 postings
- 11Technicians148 postings
- 12Ophthalmology Assistants141 postings
- 13Clinical Technicians117 postings
- 14Lead Ophthalmic Technicians117 postings
- 15Ophthalmic Medical Technicians99 postings
- 16Optometrist Assistants97 postings
- 17Eye Technicians79 postings
- 18Doctors Assistants78 postings
- 19Optical Assistants78 postings
- 20Diagnostic Technicians59 postings
Top employers
- 01Visionworks773 postings
- 02National Vision762 postings
- 03MyEyeDr.639 postings
- 04EyeCare Partners614 postings
- 05EssilorLuxottica399 postings
- 06Warby Parker295 postings
- 07Prism Vision138 postings
- 08American Vision Partners131 postings
- 09Kaiser Permanente124 postings
- 10Keplr Vision117 postings
- 11Target92 postings
- 12Midwest Vision Partners72 postings
- 13Vision Source69 postings
- 14Refocus Eye Health68 postings
- 15Actalent67 postings
- 16Lenscrafters65 postings
- 17Ophthalmic Consultants Of Long Island65 postings
- 18Midwest Eye Consultants64 postings
- 19University of Miami63 postings
- 20Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat Associates P.A62 postings
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