Ophthalmic Medical Technicians

Overview

Ophthalmic Medical Technicians has a national median salary of $45,570 per year, with +21.4% projected job growth from 2025–2035. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a postsecondary certificate as the typical education needed to enter this occupation.

Description

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.

Work Values

• Relationships
• Support
• Achievement

Work Styles

Responsibilities

Tasks

• Take and document patients' medical histories.
• Conduct tonometry or tonography tests to measure intraocular pressure.
• 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.
• Measure visual acuity, including near, distance, pinhole, or dynamic visual acuity, using appropriate tests.

Work Activities

• Getting Information
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
• Assisting and Caring for Others
• Documenting/Recording Information
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
• Working with Computers
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
• Training and Teaching Others
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events

Detailed Work Activities

• Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
• Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
• Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

T-A-S-K

Technology, Abilities, Skills & Knowledge

Education

Education Levels of Current Workers

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a postsecondary certificate as the typical education needed to enter this occupation. The chart below shows the highest level of education held by people already working in this field, ages 25 and older. It includes workers who earned more education than the job requires and workers who entered the field under earlier requirements, so the largest bar is not the entry requirement. For example, if someone finished a bachelor's degree and then started working in this field, they are counted under “Bachelor's degree” here, but the job itself typically asks for a postsecondary certificate.

Certificates

Certifications applicable to Ophthalmic Medical Technicians:

Video Resources