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Ophthalmic Medical Technicians in South Carolina

Ophthalmic Medical Technicians in South Carolina

Want to work as an Ophthalmic Medical Technicians in South Carolina? Here’s what the data says. 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 do Ophthalmic Medical Technicians Make in South Carolina?

The ophthalmic medical technicians working in South Carolina, wages run about $38,840 per year (or roughly $18.68/hour).Annual wages span from $31,420 at the 10th percentile to $50,570 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic Annual Hourly
10th percentile $31,420 $15.10
25th percentile $35,170 $16.91
Median (50th) $38,840 $18.68
75th percentile $45,400 $21.83
90th percentile $50,570 $24.31
Salary ranges for Ophthalmic Medical Technicians in South Carolina

Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in South Carolina nationwide is 1.46, indicating that ophthalmic medical technicians are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, ophthalmic medical technicians earn a median of $51,958 per year ($24.98/hour), below the South Carolina median.

Ophthalmic Medical Technicians earnings in South Carolina vs. the national average

Employment Outlook

There are roughly 634,631 ophthalmic medical technicians across the United States. In South Carolina alone, approximately 1,650 people work in this role. That puts the state above the typical state, which employs around 990 ophthalmic medical technicians.

Ophthalmic Medical Technicians in South Carolina vs. the average state Forecasted number of jobs for Ophthalmic Medical Technicians

Top South Carolina Metros for Ophthalmic Medical Technicians

The metro areas below employ the most ophthalmic medical technicians in South Carolina.

Metro Area Number Employed Annual Median Salary
Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC 360 $38,880
Columbia, SC 300 $36,400
Charleston-North Charleston, SC 240 $40,840
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC 190 $36,120
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC 100 $45,640
Florence, SC 80 $35,170

Top States for Ophthalmic Medical Technicians Employment

View the states that employ the most ophthalmic medical technicians work.

State Number Employed
Florida 7,160
Texas 6,980
New York 6,260
California 4,090
Massachusetts 3,430
Pennsylvania 3,230
Ohio 3,040
Tennessee 2,300
Virginia 2,250
Illinois 2,210
Michigan 2,180
Arizona 2,080
North Carolina 2,000
Kentucky 1,830
New Jersey 1,760
Georgia 1,690
Indiana 1,660
South Carolina 1,650
Colorado 1,580
Maryland 1,550

Highest-Paying States for Ophthalmic Medical Technicians

The highest-paying states for ophthalmic medical technicians.

State Annual Median Salary
Minnesota $60,810
Wisconsin $50,660
Vermont $49,080
Washington $48,960
Oregon $48,730
Connecticut $48,520
California $47,940
Maryland $47,490
New Jersey $47,460
Massachusetts $47,450

Skills

The most important ophthalmic medical technicians skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Active Listening  3.6 / 5
0
5
Speaking  3.2 / 5
0
5
Writing  3.1 / 5
0
5
Social Perceptiveness  3.1 / 5
0
5
Reading Comprehension  3.1 / 5
0
5
Service Orientation  3.1 / 5
0
5

Knowledge Areas

Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Customer and Personal Service  4.3 / 5
0
5
Medicine and Dentistry  4.2 / 5
0
5
English Language  4.0 / 5
0
5
Mathematics  3.3 / 5
0
5
Administrative  2.9 / 5
0
5
Education and Training  2.8 / 5
0
5

Abilities

Key abilities for ophthalmic medical technicians, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Near Vision  3.9 / 5
0
5
Oral Expression  3.9 / 5
0
5
Oral Comprehension  3.9 / 5
0
5
Speech Clarity  3.6 / 5
0
5
Written Expression  3.4 / 5
0
5
Problem Sensitivity  3.4 / 5
0
5

Daily Tasks

Ophthalmic Medical Technicians typically:

  • 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.
  • Assist physicians in performing ophthalmic procedures, including surgery.
  • Measure corneal curvature with keratometers or ophthalmometers to aid in the diagnosis of conditions, such as astigmatism.
  • Conduct ocular motility tests to measure function of eye muscles.
  • Clean or sterilize ophthalmic or surgical instruments.

Work Activities

  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
  • Getting Information
  • Assisting and Caring for Others
  • Documenting/Recording Information
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
  • Working with Computers
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
  • Training and Teaching Others
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
  • Processing Information
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials

Tools & Technology

Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: Microsoft Excel

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Several college majors map to this occupation:

  • Optometric Support Services

Careers similar to ophthalmic medical technicians include:

Also Known As

Certified Ophthalmic Medical Technician (Certified Ophthalmic Medical Tech), Certified Ophthalmic Surgical Assistant, Certified Ophthalmic Technician (COT), Certified Ophthalmic Technician-Surgical Assistant (COT-SA), Certified Retinal Angiographer, Eyecare Advisor, Health Technician (Health Tech), Medical Technician (Medical Tech), Ocular Care Technician (Ocular Care Tech), Ocular Care Technologist, Ophthalmic Aide, Ophthalmic Assistant, Ophthalmic Diagnostic Sonographer, Ophthalmic Medical Assistant, Ophthalmic Medical Technician (Ophthalmic Medical Tech).

References

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