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.
What it pays
Ophthalmic Medical Technicians earn a median of $21.91/hr — about $45,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $17.17/hr; the top 10% earn $29.78/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Ophthalmic Medical Technicians earn a median of $21.91/hr — about $45,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $17.17/hr; the top 10% earn $29.78/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- 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.
- Measure and record lens power, using lensometers.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Post-secondary certificate. Overall preparation: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
The feel of the work
The work is mostly indoors; you're around people constantly; precision matters — small details carry weight. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 0.7% of ophthalmic medical technicians are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are hands-on, organized and detail-focused and analytical.
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Quick questions
- How much does a ophthalmic medical technician make?
- The median pay is $21.91 per hour — roughly $45,500 a year, with the real range running from about $17.17/hr (10th percentile) to $29.78/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a ophthalmic medical technician?
- The typical entry-level education is: Post-secondary certificate. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
- What does a ophthalmic medical technician actually do all day?
- 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.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.