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.
- O*NET-SOC code
29-2057.00 - Preparation Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$45,570
Employment, U.S.71,010
Median hourly wage$21.91
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $35,700 | $38,170 | $45,570 | $51,390 | $61,940 |
By state (51)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 1,260 | $36,680 | 1.30 |
| Alaska | 90 | $49,970 | 0.61 |
| Arizona | 1,630 | $47,040 | 1.10 |
| Arkansas | 540 | $37,340 | 0.91 |
| California | 2,500 | $54,490 | 0.30 |
| Colorado | 1,470 | $46,260 | 1.12 |
| Connecticut | 780 | $48,270 | 1.00 |
| Delaware | $44,540 | ||
| District of Columbia | $50,790 | ||
| Florida | 7,020 | $46,830 | 1.55 |
| Georgia | 2,570 | $39,150 | 1.15 |
| Hawaii | 190 | $58,240 | 0.66 |
| Idaho | 230 | $38,280 | 0.58 |
| Illinois | 3,250 | $47,100 | 1.17 |
| Indiana | 1,610 | $43,490 | 1.10 |
| Iowa | 500 | $44,030 | 0.70 |
| Kansas | 630 | $43,700 | 0.96 |
| Kentucky | 1,570 | $38,990 | 1.72 |
| Louisiana | 890 | $38,750 | 1.01 |
| Maine | 320 | $48,120 | 1.09 |
| Maryland | 1,300 | $50,070 | 1.03 |
| Massachusetts | 2,330 | $49,750 | 1.40 |
| Michigan | 1,800 | $46,750 | 0.90 |
| Minnesota | 720 | $63,080 | 0.53 |
| Mississippi | 690 | $36,220 | 1.29 |
| Missouri | 960 | $40,290 | 0.72 |
| Montana | 380 | $47,290 | 1.63 |
| Nebraska | 530 | $45,210 | 1.13 |
| Nevada | 960 | $37,660 | 1.35 |
| New Hampshire | 300 | $49,110 | 0.95 |
| New Jersey | 4,150 | $49,050 | 2.12 |
| New Mexico | 400 | $38,610 | 1.01 |
| New York | 4,250 | $48,440 | 0.96 |
| North Carolina | 1,630 | $45,150 | 0.72 |
| North Dakota | 220 | $46,190 | 1.14 |
| Ohio | 2,510 | $40,350 | 0.99 |
| Oklahoma | 980 | $37,920 | 1.25 |
| Oregon | 1,060 | $50,020 | 1.18 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,890 | $45,050 | 1.04 |
| Rhode Island | 410 | $46,500 | 1.79 |
| South Carolina | 1,470 | $40,400 | 1.40 |
| South Dakota | 300 | $42,430 | 1.43 |
| Tennessee | 1,760 | $38,890 | 1.18 |
| Texas | 6,540 | $43,640 | 1.02 |
| Utah | 680 | $35,950 | 0.85 |
| Vermont | 150 | $50,090 | 1.11 |
| Virginia | 1,540 | $40,920 | 0.82 |
| Washington | 1,250 | $48,840 | 0.77 |
| West Virginia | 260 | $36,730 | 0.81 |
| Wisconsin | 1,260 | $56,420 | 0.94 |
| Wyoming | 110 | $35,740 | 0.83 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ophthalmic Medical Technologists | 3 | 0.983 |
| 2 | Medical Assistants | 3 | 0.963 |
| 3 | Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians | 3 | 0.963 |
| 4 | Neurodiagnostic Technologists | 3 | 0.962 |
| 5 | Dental Assistants | 3 | 0.959 |
| 6 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | 5 | 0.958 |
| 7 | Pharmacy Technicians | 3 | 0.957 |
| 8 | Phlebotomists | 3 | 0.954 |
| 9 | Dental Hygienists | 3 | 0.953 |
| 10 | Veterinary Technologists and Technicians | 3 | 0.952 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Ophthalmic Medical Technicians, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Assistants | Social Perceptiveness | 0.88 | 0.963 |
| Dental Hygienists | Persuasion | 1.25 | 0.953 |
| Veterinary Technologists and Technicians | Critical Thinking | 0.88 | 0.952 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Ophthalmic Medical Technicians, excluding software Ophthalmic Medical Technicians already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| MEDITECH software | 9 of 20 | 5.4x |
| Electronic medical record EMR software | 6 of 20 | 8.7x |
| Henry Schein Dentrix | 4 of 20 | 15.4x |
| Patterson Dental Supply Patterson EagleSoft | 3 of 20 | 27.7x |
| eClinicalWorks EHR software | 4 of 20 | 3.8x |
| Scheduling software | 4 of 20 | 2.6x |
| Medical condition coding software | 3 of 20 | 3.5x |
| Medical procedure coding software | 3 of 20 | 3.1x |
| JavaScript | 4 of 20 | 2.2x |
| Database software | 6 of 20 | 1.7x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.62 | 3.75 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.62 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.62 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.38 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 1.75 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.50 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.75 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Science | Essential skill | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.50 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.75 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.25 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.12 | not rated |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Customer and Personal Service | 4.32 | 4.41 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 4.18 | 3.64 |
| English Language | 4.00 | 3.59 |
| Mathematics | 3.32 | 3.09 |
| Administrative | 2.90 | 2.86 |
| Education and Training | 2.77 | 3.32 |
| Computers and Electronics | 2.73 | 2.73 |
| Psychology | 2.64 | 3.23 |
| Biology | 2.48 | 2.32 |
| Administration and Management | 2.36 | 2.27 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.27 | 2.45 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 2.14 | 2.00 |
| Public Safety and Security | 2.10 | 1.64 |
| Mechanical | 2.09 | 1.86 |
| Chemistry | 2.05 | 2.45 |
| Law and Government | 1.95 | 1.55 |
| Engineering and Technology | 1.86 | 1.41 |
| Sales and Marketing | 1.77 | 1.45 |
| Foreign Language | 1.77 | 1.32 |
| Telecommunications | 1.77 | 0.73 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.64 | 1.23 |
| Production and Processing | 1.64 | 1.05 |
| Communications and Media | 1.59 | 1.36 |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.59 | 0.86 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.29 | not rated |
| Physics | 1.18 | not rated |
| Transportation | 1.18 | not rated |
| Design | 1.14 | not rated |
| History and Archeology | 1.14 | not rated |
| Geography | 1.09 | not rated |
| Building and Construction | 1.05 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.05 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.00 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Oral Comprehension | 3.88 | 4.12 |
| Near Vision | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Oral Expression | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.62 | 3.12 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.38 | 3.50 |
| Written Expression | 3.38 | 3.00 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.25 | 3.75 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.12 | 3.38 |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Selective Attention | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Far Vision | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Information Ordering | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Control Precision | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Manual Dexterity | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Number Facility | 2.38 | 2.50 |
| Memorization | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Time Sharing | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Perceptual Speed | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Trunk Strength | 2.25 | 1.88 |
| Visualization | 2.12 | 2.62 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Depth Perception | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Originality | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Extent Flexibility | 1.88 | 1.50 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 1.88 | 1.12 |
| Static Strength | 1.88 | 1.00 |
| Auditory Attention | 1.75 | 1.38 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 1.62 | 1.25 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 1.62 | 0.88 |
| Dynamic Strength | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Stamina | 1.50 | 0.62 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Reaction Time | 1.25 | not rated |
| Rate Control | 1.12 | not rated |
| Response Orientation | 1.12 | not rated |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Explosive Strength | 1.00 | not rated |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.00 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Sound Localization | 1.00 | not rated |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Excel in demand
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft PowerPoint hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- AcuityPro
- Email software
- EyeMD EMR Healthcare Systems EyeMD EMR
- Medflow Complete
- MediPro Medisoft Clinical
- NaviNet Open
- Web browser software
- ezChartWriter
- iChartPlus
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany, GA | 110 | 4.09 | $36,030 |
| Dothan, AL | 110 | 4.01 | $35,550 |
| Missoula, MT | 100 | 3.32 | $49,430 |
| Amarillo, TX | 190 | 3.29 | $36,810 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | 170 | 3.13 | $36,140 |
| Bowling Green, KY | 110 | 2.89 | $35,380 |
| Medford, OR | 120 | 2.88 | $46,360 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | 310 | 2.54 | $44,960 |
| La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | 100 | 2.51 | $56,010 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 1,570 | 2.44 | $46,640 |