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Ophthalmic Laboratory Technician

Types of Degrees Ophthalmic Laboratory Technician Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Ophthalmic Laboratory Technician have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	9
Master’s Degree	67

What Ophthalmic Laboratory Technician Majors Need to Know

Programs in Ophthalmic Laboratory Technician develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Ophthalmic Laboratory Technician graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Ophthalmic Laboratory Technician emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Ophthalmic Laboratory Technician program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Judgment and Decision Making — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Ophthalmic Laboratory Technician careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Ophthalmic Laboratory Technician graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.9 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.8 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.7 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.7 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.6 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	3.6 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Ophthalmic Laboratory Technician professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—
Articulate Rapid E-Learning Studio	Computer based training software	—
Desire2Learn LMS software	Computer based training software	—
Dental software	Medical software	—
TechSmith Snagit	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technician graduates include:

• Dentistry Professor
• Anatomy Teacher
• Dental Hygiene Teacher
• Clinical Assistant Professor
• Correctional Therapy Teacher
• Occupational Therapy Professor
• Medical Assisting Instructor
• Faculty Member
• Surgical Technology Instructor
• Health and Safety Instructor
• Oxygen Therapy Teacher
• Gericare Aide Teacher
• Otolaryngology Teacher
• Nutrition Educator
• Medical Aides Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Ophthalmic Laboratory Technician graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	23.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	21.9%
Doctoral degree	15.3%
Post-doctoral training	11.7%
Bachelor’s degree	9.1%
Some college courses	5.7%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.4%
Postsecondary certificate	5.2%
Less than a high school diploma	1.9%
First professional degree	0.6%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Ophthalmic Laboratory Technician?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 68.4% of Ophthalmic Laboratory Technician degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	52	68.4%
Men	24	31.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Ophthalmic Laboratory Technician graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	18	23.7%
Asian	3	3.9%
Hispanic or Latino	41	53.9%
Black or African American	9	11.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	1.3%
Two or More Races	1	1.3%
Race Unknown	2	2.6%
International Students	1	1.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Ophthalmic Laboratory Technician Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Ophthalmic Laboratory Technician graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$42,942
4 years	$39,910
5 years	$44,672

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $44,672 — roughly 4% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Ophthalmic Laboratory Technician Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Ophthalmic Laboratory Technician graduates earn a median of $39,910 four years after completion — roughly 5% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions	51.10
Blood Bank Technology Specialist	51.1001
Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist	51.1005
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions, Other	51.1099
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Technician	51.1004
Cytogenetics/Genetics/Clinical Genetics Technology/Technologist	51.1010
Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist	51.1002
Hematology Technology/Technician	51.1003
Histologic Technician	51.1008
Histologic Technology/Histotechnologist	51.1007
Phlebotomy Technician/Phlebotomist	51.1009
Renal/Dialysis Technologist/Technician	51.1011

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.