Ophthalmic Medical Technicians

What Ophthalmic Medical Technicians Do

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.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

None

On-the-job training

None

Self-employed

0.7%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.3/5
• Medicine and Dentistryimportance 4.2/5
• English Languageimportance 4.0/5
• Mathematicsimportance 3.3/5
• Administrativeimportance 2.9/5
• Education and Trainingimportance 2.8/5
• Computers and Electronicsimportance 2.7/5
• Psychologyimportance 2.6/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• Contact With Others4.9/5
• Telephone Conversations4.8/5
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.8/5
• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.8/5
• Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.7/5
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.7/5

Related Careers

• Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other
• Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians
• Medical Assistants
• Surgical Assistants
• Healthcare Support Workers, All Other
• Surgical Technologists
• Radiologic Technologists and Technicians
• Diagnostic Medical Sonographers

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians92% skill match
• Nuclear Medicine Technologists91% skill match
• Parking Enforcement Workers91% skill match
• Forest and Conservation Workers91% skill match
• Firefighters91% skill match
• Prepress Technicians and Workers90% skill match
• Radiologic Technologists and Technicians89% skill match
• Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners88% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.1/5
• Service Orientationimportance 3.1/5
• Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.9/5
• Instructingimportance 2.6/5
• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.6/5
• Time Managementimportance 2.6/5
• Persuasionimportance 2.3/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Attention to Detail
• Dependability
• Cautiousness
• Stress Tolerance
• Empathy
• Social Orientation
• Self-Control

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• RealisticHigh
• InvestigativeMedium
• SocialMedium
• ConventionalMedium
• EnterprisingLow
• ArtisticLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where ophthalmic medical technicians make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Albany, GA4.09× national avg
2. 2Dothan, AL4.01× national avg
3. 3Victoria, TX3.34× national avg
4. 4Missoula, MT3.32× national avg
5. 5Amarillo, TX3.29× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Cardiovascular Technologists and TechniciansLateral Move
• Respiratory TherapistsLateral Move
• Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansLateral Move
• Dental HygienistsLateral Move

See the full career path from Ophthalmic Medical Technicians →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.