An ophthalmic lab technician assists an eye doctor in preparing eyeglasses and contact lenses. There are over 20,000 jobs for ophthalmic technicians who graduate from accredited ophthalmology technology schools.
The Commission on Accreditation of Ophthalmic Medical Programs is an accrediting body that approves schools with educational training programs in ophthalmology technology. There are a couple of important reasons to attend an accredited school. First, those who graduate from an accredited institution have a better chance of getting a job as an ophthalmic laboratory technician. Second, getting professional certification partially depends upon completion of an accredited training program. Certification is another way to enhance career potential and maximize salary earned in this profession.
The Commission has a map that can be used to hunt down accredited ophthalmology technician schools. Use the link in the Resources below to find and use that map. The map also shows accredited programs for clinical assistants, non-clinical assistants, and medical technologists. There are very few accredited programs for ophthalmology technicians, so a list is provided near the bottom of this article. Use the map to get contact details for each school.
Once educated in this field, technicians can find work with eyewear stores, medical manufacturing companies, offices of eye doctors, and eyewear equipment wholesalers.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that there were 27,880 ophthalmic laboratory technicians in May of 2010. At that time, their average median salary was $27,970. While that is not a particularly high income, technician school only lasts one to two years, and many technicians even get hired with only a high school diploma.
Portland Community College – Portland, Oregon
Pima Medical Institute – Denver, Colorado
San Jacinto College – Pasadena, Texas
Florida State College – Jacksonville, Florida
Emory University – Atlanta, Georgia
Volunteer State Community College – Gallatin, Tennessee
Old Dominion University / Eastern Virginia Medical School – Norfolk, Virginia
Camden County College – Blackwood, New Jersey
Triton College – River Grove, Illinois
Regions Hospital – St. Paul, Minnesota
St. Catherine University – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Resources:
Bureau of Labor Statistics: Jobs and Salary for Ophthalmic Technicians
Commission on Accreditation of Ophthalmic Medical Programs: Map to Find Accredited Schools