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Optometric Technician

A program that prepares individuals to assist optometrists in providing patient care, administering examinations and treatments, and performing office administrative functions. Includes instruction in applied anatomy and physiology of the eye, visual testing, patient communication, patient preparation, medications and administration, dispensing and fitting of eyeglasses and contact lenses, record-keeping, and office management skills.

Types of Degrees Optometric Technician Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Optometric Technician can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	64
Associate’s Degree	108
Master’s Degree	29

What Optometric Technician Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Optometric 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

Skills built by a Optometric 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.
• Social Perceptiveness — 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

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Optometric Technician careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Near Vision — 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.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Optometric 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
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	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 Optometric Technician professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Optometric Technician graduates include:

• Medical Technician (Medical Tech)
• Optometric Assistant
• Ophthalmic Medical Technician (Ophthalmic Medical Tech)
• Ophthalmic Assistant
• Health Technician (Health Tech)
• Ophthalmic Diagnostic Sonographer
• Ophthalmic Scribe
• Eyecare Advisor
• Certified Ophthalmic Technician (COT)
• Certified Ophthalmic Technician-Surgical Assistant (COT-SA)
• Ophthalmic Medical Assistant
• Certified Retinal Angiographer
• Ocular Care Technician (Ocular Care Tech)
• Optical Technician (Optical Tech)
• Paraoptometric

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Optometric 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 Optometric Technician?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 78.6% of Optometric Technician degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	158	78.6%
Men	43	21.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	28	13.9%
Asian	2	1.0%
Hispanic or Latino	153	76.1%
Black or African American	15	7.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.5%
Two or More Races	2	1.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Optometric Technician Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Optometric Technician graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise 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.}

Is a Degree in Optometric Technician Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Optometric 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
Ophthalmic Technician/Technologist	148
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.