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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.

Median salary (BLS)

$45,570

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$36k – $62k

Job outlook

+20% (much faster than average)

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $93,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Ophthalmic Medical Technicians

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Education

Typical entry: Associate degree

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$8,200–$23,000

Time to qualify

2.2 yr

Renewal

$75/yr

  1. 1

    Associate degree (community college)

    Degree

    Two years at in-district rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $4,050/yr, plus ~$1,200/yr books & supplies.

    $8,000–$22,000 · 2 years source

  2. 2

    National & state licensure

    License

    A national board/registry exam plus a state license application (the NCLEX pattern). Exact exam and fees depend on the role and state.

    $200–$1,000 · 2 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Ophthalmic Medical Technicians" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Ophthalmic Medical Technicians

    Entry / Junior

    $35,700

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Ophthalmic Medical Technicians

    Established

    $45,570

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Ophthalmic Medical Technicians

    Senior

    $53,755

Key skills

A typical 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.
  • •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.

Fields of study

Any field

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.