Optometric Support
Types of Degrees Optometric Support Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many ophthalmic & optometric support services graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.
| Education Level | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 398 |
| Basic Certificate | 185 |
| Undergraduate Certificate | 154 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 14 |
| Master’s Degree | 7 |
| Graduate Certificate | 2 |
What Optometric Support Majors Need to Know
O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to optometric support and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.
Knowledge Areas for Optometric Support Majors
Optometric Support majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:
- Customer and Personal Service - 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.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Clerical - 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.
- Medicine and Dentistry - 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.
Skills for Optometric Support Majors
A major in optometric support prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Abilities for Optometric Support Majors
Optometric Support majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
What Can You Do With a Optometric Support Major?
Below is a list of occupations associated with optometric support:
| Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Ophthalmic Medical Technicians | 19.6% | $36,530 |
| Opticians, Dispensing | 15.1% | $37,010 |
Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Optometric Support?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of optometric support majors is as follows:
| Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Asian | 3 |
| Black or African American | 1 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0 |
| White | 7 |
| International Students | 3 |
| Other Races/Ethnicities | 0 |
Geographic Diversity
Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Optometric Support. About 21.4% of those with this major are international students.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Optometric Support
Some careers associated with optometric support require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.
How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to optometric support have obtained the following education levels.
| Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Less than a High School Diploma | 2.0% |
| High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 32.2% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) | 28.2% |
| Some College Courses | 6.0% |
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 28.2% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. | 2.0% |
Online Optometric Support Programs
The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
| Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 0 | 0 |
| Certificate (1-2 years) | 28 | 0 |
| Certificate (2-4 Years) | 3 | 0 |
| Associate’s Degree | 46 | 2 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 | 0 |
| Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
| Master’s Degree | 1 | 0 |
| Post-Master’s | 1 | 0 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 1 | 0 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
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Majors Related to Optometric Support
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to optometric support.
References
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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