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Ophthalmic Technician

A program that prepares individuals to assist ophthalmologists and optometrists in examining and treating patients with vision problems, vision disorders, and eye diseases. Includes instruction in taking patient histories, administering directed treatments and topical medications, diagnostic test procedures and equipment operation, anatomical and functional ocular measurements, patient care and instruction, ophthalmic and surgical equipment maintenance, safety and sterilization procedures, and office administrative procedures.

Types of Degrees Ophthalmic Technician Majors Are Earning

Those studying Ophthalmic Technician may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	22
Associate’s Degree	75
Bachelor’s Degree	2
Master’s Degree	49

What Ophthalmic Technician Majors Need to Know

Studies in Ophthalmic Technician build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Ophthalmic Technician graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Ophthalmic Technician emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 2.9 / 5; level 2.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Ophthalmic Technician program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3 / 7.
• Service Orientation — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Ophthalmic Technician careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Ophthalmic Technician graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public	4.5 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.5 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	3.8 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Ophthalmic Technician professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
EyeMD EMR Healthcare Systems EyeMD EMR	Medical software	—
NaviNet Open	Medical software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
iChartPlus	Medical software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
ezChartWriter	Medical software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
MediPro Medisoft Clinical	Medical software	—
Medflow Complete	Medical software	—
AcuityPro	Medical software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Ophthalmic Technician graduates include:

• Ophthalmic Diagnostic Sonographer
• Certified Ophthalmic Medical Technician (Certified Ophthalmic Medical Tech)
• Retinal Angiographer
• Optical Technician (Optical Tech)
• Ophthalmology Assistant
• Certified Ophthalmic Surgical Assistant
• Ophthalmic Medical Assistant
• Certified Ophthalmic Technician-Surgical Assistant (COT-SA)
• Ophthalmic Assistant
• Ophthalmic Aide
• Optometric Assistant
• Ophthalmic Scribe
• Ophthalmology Technician (Ophthalmology Tech)
• Medical Technician (Medical Tech)
• Optometric Technician (Optometric Tech)

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Ophthalmic Technician graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	59.1%
Postsecondary certificate	27.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	9.1%
Some college courses	4.5%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Ophthalmic Technician?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 81.8% of Ophthalmic Technician degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	121	81.8%
Men	27	18.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Ophthalmic Technician graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	59	39.9%
Asian	8	5.4%
Hispanic or Latino	59	39.9%
Black or African American	5	3.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	2.0%
Two or More Races	3	2.0%
Race Unknown	6	4.1%
International Students	5	3.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Ophthalmic Technician Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Ophthalmic Technician graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$34,118
4 years	$36,016
5 years	$38,680

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $38,680 — roughly 13% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Ophthalmic Technician Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Ophthalmic Technician. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Ophthalmic Technician Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Ophthalmic Technician graduates earn a median of $36,016 four years after completion — about 5% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions	742
Opticianry/Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician	352
Optometric Technician/Assistant	201
Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions, Other	40
Orthoptics/Orthoptist	1

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.