Career Details
Career Details
Use this dropdown to update your zip code
Back to top

Career Details

29-2099.05 - Ophthalmic Medical Technologists


Assist ophthalmologists by performing ophthalmic clinical functions and ophthalmic photography. Provide instruction and supervision to other ophthalmic personnel. Assist with minor surgical procedures, applying aseptic techniques and preparing instruments. May perform eye exams, administer eye medications, and instruct patients in care and use of corrective lenses.


Key Facts
Expand or Shrink Accordion
Bright Outlook
1
Career Details
Green Job
Career Details
Current Employment
102,200
Estimate
Forecasted Employment
125,900
Estimate
Change in Employment
+23,600
Estimate
Change in Employment %
+23.1%
Estimate
Tasks
Expand or Shrink Accordion
Tasks
The tasks listed below can be performed to prepare you for a career in this field.
Core
  • Administer topical ophthalmic or oral medications.
  • Assess abnormalities of color vision, such as amblyopia.
  • Assess refractive condition of eyes, using retinoscope.
  • Assist physicians in performing ophthalmic procedures, including surgery.
  • Calculate corrections for refractive errors.
  • Collect ophthalmic measurements or other diagnostic information, using ultrasound equipment, such as A-scan ultrasound biometry or B-scan ultrasonography equipment.
  • Conduct binocular disparity tests to assess depth perception.
  • Conduct ocular motility tests to measure function of eye muscles.
  • Conduct tests, such as the Amsler Grid test, to measure central visual field used in the early diagnosis of macular degeneration, glaucoma, or diseases of the eye.
  • Conduct tonometry or tonography tests to measure intraocular pressure.
  • Conduct visual field tests to measure field of vision.
  • Measure and record lens power, using lensometers.
  • Measure corneal curvature with keratometers or ophthalmometers to aid in the diagnosis of conditions, such as astigmatism.
  • Measure corneal thickness, using pachymeter or contact ultrasound methods.
  • Measure the thickness of the retinal nerve, using scanning laser polarimetry techniques to aid in diagnosis of glaucoma.
  • Measure visual acuity, including near, distance, pinhole, or dynamic visual acuity, using appropriate tests.
  • Perform advanced ophthalmic procedures, including electrophysiological, electrophysical, or microbial procedures.
  • Perform fluorescein angiography of the eye.
  • Photograph patients' eye areas, using clinical photography techniques, to document retinal or corneal defects.
  • Supervise or instruct ophthalmic staff.
  • Take anatomical or functional ocular measurements, such as axial length measurements, of the eye or surrounding tissue.
  • Call patients to inquire about their post-operative status or recovery.
  • Clean or sterilize ophthalmic or surgical instruments.
  • Conduct low vision blindness tests.
  • Instruct patients in the care and use of contact lenses.
  • Maintain ophthalmic instruments or equipment.
  • Take and document patients' medical histories.
  • Perform ophthalmic triage, in the office or by phone, to assess severity of patients' conditions.
  • Educate patients on ophthalmic medical procedures, conditions of the eye, and appropriate use of medications.
Supplemental
  • Create three-dimensional images of the eye, using computed tomography (CT).
  • Perform slit lamp biomicroscopy procedures to diagnose disorders of the eye, such as retinitis, presbyopia, cataracts, or retinal detachment.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Knowledge
Expand or Shrink Accordion
Knowledge

The items listed below are organized into sections that contain knowledge useful for pursuing a career in this field. Each section also contains a "Percentage of Importance" statistic that shows how relevant an item is to the occupation.
 Customer and Personal Service
  • 90%
    Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
 Medicine and Dentistry
  • 82%
    Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
 English Language
  • 80%
    Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
 Education and Training
  • 67%
    Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
 Mathematics
  • 63%
    Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
 Clerical
  • 61%
    Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
 Administration and Management
  • 59%
    Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
 Biology
  • 58%
    Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
 Computers and Electronics
  • 58%
    Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
 Public Safety and Security
  • 57%
    Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
 Psychology
  • 56%
    Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
 Personnel and Human Resources
  • 50%
    Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Tools
Expand or Shrink Accordion
Tools
The tools listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Non destructive examination equipment
  • A-scan biometers
  • B-Scan biometers
  • Bio-microscopes
 Ophthalmic diagnostic exam products
  • Amsler grids
  • Automated lensometers
  • Autorefractors
  • Brightness acuity testers
  • Color blindness tests
  • Combination refractor keratometers
  • Corneal topographers
  • Digital pupillometers
  • Electroretinogram equipment
  • Eye chart projectors
  • Handheld occluders
  • Hertel exophthalmometers
  • Luedde exophthalmometers
  • Maddox rods
  • Manual lensometers
  • Manual pupillometers
  • Millimeter rules
  • Naugle exophthalmometers
  • Ocular transilluminators
  • Ophthalmic perimeters
  • Ophthalmic retinoscopes
  • Ophthalmic slit lamps
  • Ophthalmic tonographers
  • Ophthalmic tonometers
  • Optokinetic drums
  • Phoroptors
  • Potential acuity meters
  • Snellen eye charts
  • Specular microscopes
  • Stereo vision tests
  • Tangent screens
  • Titmus vision screeners
  • Visual acuity cards
  • Wavefront aberrometers
 Duplicating machines
  • Laser facsimile machines
 Syringes and accessories
  • Ophthalmic syringes
 Medical computed tomography CT or CAT systems and related products
  • Optical coherence tomography OCT scanners
  • Retinal tomography machines
 Computers
  • Personal computers
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Technology
Expand or Shrink Accordion
Technology
The technologies listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Industry specific software
  • AcuityPro
  • Autodesk AutoCADHOT
  • Computer aided design and drafting CADD softwareHOT
  • EyeMD EMR
  • ezChartWriter
  • iChartPlus
  • Medflow Complete
  • MediPro Medisoft Clinical
  • NaviNet Open
 Information exchange software
  • Email software
  • Microsoft OutlookHOT
 Development software
  • Hypertext preprocessor PHP
  • JavaScriptHOT
 Content authoring and editing software
  • Microsoft ExcelHOT
  • Microsoft WordHOT
  • Word processing software
 Operating environment software
  • Microsoft operating system
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Certifications
Expand or Shrink Accordion
Certifications
The certifications listed below are useful to pursue if you are interested in a career in this field.
 Specialty
 Advanced
 Core
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Licensing
Expand or Shrink Accordion
Licensing
The licensing information below is organized into sections and is useful for pursuing if you are interested in a career in this field.
No specific licensing information is listed for this occupation in the area you have selected.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Related Programs
Expand or Shrink Accordion
Online Programs related to this career, offered by participating institution(s), are listed below.

Clicking on the Degree programs in the list below will take you away from the Careers page.
INSTITUTION
PROGRAMS
Central Virginia Community College
Eastern Shore Community College
Germanna Community College
J Sargeant Reynolds Community College
Laurel Ridge Community College
Mountain Empire Community College
Mountain Gateway Community College
New River Community College
Northern Virginia Community College
Piedmont Virginia Community College
Southside Virginia Community College
Southwest Virginia Community College