Careers / Ophthalmic Medical Technicians
Ophthalmic Medical Technicians — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
Opens your browser print dialog — choose “Save as PDF”.
Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$45,570
United States, 2025
Employment
71,010
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 3
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
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 code
- 29-2057.00
- Job zone
- 3
- Experience required
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Administer topical ophthalmic or oral medications.
- Conduct visual field tests to measure field of vision.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$35,700
25th percentile
$38,170
75th percentile
$51,390
90th percentile
$61,940
Most important skills
- Active Listening3.6
- Speaking3.3
- Service Orientation3.1
- Social Perceptiveness3.1
- Reading Comprehension3.1
- Writing3.1
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Active Learning3.0
- Coordination3.0
- Monitoring3.0
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9
- Learning Strategies2.6
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 10 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
10
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.6 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Speaking | 3.3 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.1 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Service Orientation | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Writing | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Coordination | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $135,880
Compare with Ophthalmic Medical TechniciansSupplemental
National median $358,550
Compare with Ophthalmic Medical TechniciansSupplemental
National median $300,080
Compare with Ophthalmic Medical TechniciansHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa, CA | $102,540 | 40 | 2025 |
| Durham, NC | $65,000 | 130 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $63,300 | 420 | 2025 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $63,080 | 450 | 2025 |
| MN | $63,080 | 720 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $62,390 | — | 2025 |
| Duluth, MN | $61,880 | 40 | 2025 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $61,580 | 300 | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $60,600 | — | 2025 |
| San Diego, CA | $60,440 | 310 | 2025 |
| Bend, OR | $59,990 | 100 | 2025 |
| Madison, WI | $59,180 | 220 | 2025 |
| HI | $58,240 | 190 | 2025 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $58,240 | 160 | 2025 |
| WI | $56,420 | 1,260 | 2025 |
| La Crosse, WI | $56,010 | 100 | 2025 |
| Olympia, WA | $55,710 | 80 | 2025 |
| Ithaca, NY | $55,570 | 60 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $55,100 | 5,670 | 2025 |
| CA | $54,490 | 2,500 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Ophthalmic Medical Technicians to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.