Ophthalmic Medical Technicians
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 pay
- $45,570
- Doing it now
- 72,500
- By 2035
- Up 21.4%
- Usually needs
- Postsecondary nondegree award
a year
across the country
11,800 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Administer topical ophthalmic or oral medications.
- Assess refractive conditions of eyes, using retinoscopes.
- Assist patients to insert or remove contact lenses.
- Call patients to inquire about their post-operative status or recovery.
- Clean or sterilize ophthalmic or surgical instruments.
- Conduct ocular motility tests to measure function of eye muscles.
- Conduct visual field tests to measure field of vision.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied ProfessionsSee 4 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Hands-on and practical
Analytical and curious
Helping and teaching
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $45,570 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.