Ophthalmic medical technician
Helps eye doctors by giving eye exams and medicines and teaching patients to use and care for corrective lenses.
Will AI replace ophthalmic medical technician jobs?
AI changes jobs more often than it replaces them. How much AI can help with this work: Low. More AI overlap than 1 in 100 jobs. AI touches a small part of this work. Most of the job happens with your hands, your body or in person. 0% of this job’s working time is already spent on tasks people bring to AI at work (Anthropic Economic Index). Based on Microsoft research on real AI use at work, matched to the tasks of each job in O*NET.
What AI already helps with
- Take and document patients' medical histories
- Operate eye exam equipment such as autorefractors and retinoscopes
- Take measurements of the eye and nearby tissue
What stays human
- Run tests that measure pressure inside the eye
- Give eye drops or oral medicines
- Assist doctors with eye procedures, including surgery
10-year outlook · USA
Expected change in the number of these jobs by 2035: +21.4%. Typical pay: $45,570 a year. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. German figures differ, but the direction is usually similar.
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