Optometrist Assistant Salary

An optometrist assistant is a person who is responsible for helping optometrists carry out their daily tasks. A career as an optometrist assistant cannot be termed as a medical job completely; since along with medical work, it also contains tasks that are administrative in nature. Typically, this career is associated with a respectable salary and job satisfaction. Those working in optometrist assistant careers are also sometimes referred to as paraoptometric assistants. These assistants mainly provide services in eye care facilities or optician offices. Following is a general explanation on the job description of optometrist assistants.

Optometrist Assistant Job Description

One of the primary jobs of an optometrist assistant is to help patients get ready for vision examinations and assessments. He guides the patient in choosing the right type of frame, lenses of the correct measure, and contact lenses. He repairs frames of spectacles in case of a defect. Optometrist assistants have to educate patients about eye care products, and sell them. Along with these tasks, they even look after certain administrative duties. Some of these responsibilities include scheduling appointments, keeping medical records, etc. They have to keep a track of the inventory regarding eye care products, spectacles, contacts, etc. In some private optician facilities, optometrist assistants may be required to handle telephone calls and perform receptionist duties. Now let us get to know about the salary range offered in this career.

Optometrist Assistant Salary Range

There are many determinants that have an effect on the salary prospects; some of which are years of experience and expertise, geographical region of employment, and how big the medical facility is. In order to increase the salary range for job as an optometrist assistant, it is suggested to sit for a certification program which is administered by the American Optometric Association.

According to Experience
Those working as an optometrist assistant for one to four years can expect a per annum pay ranging from $20,000 to $36,000 approximately. If the aggregate work experience increases to five to nine years, the pay also rises to a scale of $26,500 to $39,000. Likewise, the pay scale keeps growing with an increase in the experience level.

According to State of Employment
The state and city of employment are also prominent determinants of the pay range. Colorado and Illinois are reported to have the highest pay for optometrist assistants with a median pay of $52,000 and $49,000 respectively. In Arizona, these medical professionals have an average pay of $48,000; whereas in Florida, they can expect somewhere around $46,000. North Carolina and Pennsylvania had a median salary of about $46,000 and $45,000 respectively. Rest of the major states such as Georgia, Ohio, Texas, and Tennessee had an average pay ranging from $44,000 to $45,000.

According to City of Employment
The salary scale differs largely from city as well, with the topmost paying states being Denver and Chicago at the average yearly pay rate of $52,500 and $51,000 respectively. In cities such as Dallas and Phoenix, optometrist assistants are likely to get a median pay of $50,000 and $49,000. In Atlanta, the average salary falls to about $48,000. Cities like Cincinnati, Orlando, Indianapolis, Charlotte, and Houston offered a median pay from $45,000 to $47,000 annually.

This is some basic information on the optometrist assistant salary and job description. Note that the differences in pay scales are estimated figures and may vary from employment setting and other financial factors. Along with the yearly remuneration packages, optometrist assistants are also eligible for other provisions such as paid holidays and vacations and health insurance. If the yearly salary is divided into per hour pay basis, it comes to around $10 to $13.