Ophthalmic Medical Technologists
Assist ophthalmologists by performing ophthalmic clinical functions and ophthalmic photography. Provide instruction and supervision to other ophthalmic personnel. Assist with minor surgical procedures, applying aseptic techniques and preparing instruments. May perform eye exams, administer eye medications, and instruct patients in care and use of corrective lenses.
$50,290 a year (for the broader BLS group this job sits in).
of the working time. Estimate.
- 21%
- 9%
- 70%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 6%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 21%. Today's estimate: 21%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 31 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Create three-dimensional images of the eye, using computed tomography (CT).Done daily by most who do it. | 8% | 50 min25 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Perform slit lamp biomicroscopy procedures to diagnose disorders of the eye, such as retinitis, presbyopia, cataracts, or retinal detachment.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 7% | 25 min13 min to 38 min | Stays with people | |
| Supervise or instruct ophthalmic staff.Done daily by most who do it. | 7% | 38 min17 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Calculate corrections for refractive errors.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 7% | 17 min8 min to 38 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Educate patients on ophthalmic medical procedures, conditions of the eye, and appropriate use of medications.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 7% | 17 min8 min to 33 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Assess refractive condition of eyes, using retinoscope.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 6% | 17 min8 min to 25 min | Stays with people | |
| Conduct ocular motility tests to measure function of eye muscles.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 5% | 13 min4 min to 25 min | Stays with people | |
| Take and document patients' medical histories.Done hourly or more by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 5% | 8 min4 min to 17 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Conduct tonometry or tonography tests to measure intraocular pressure.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 4% | 8 min4 min to 17 min | Stays with people | |
| Measure visual acuity, including near, distance, pinhole, or dynamic visual acuity, using appropriate tests.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 4% | 7 min3 min to 13 min | Stays with people | |
| Measure the thickness of the retinal nerve, using scanning laser polarimetry techniques to aid in diagnosis of glaucoma.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 21 min13 min to 29 min | Stays with people | |
| Measure and record lens power, using lensometers.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 3% | 6 min3 min to 13 min | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Ophthalmic Medical Technicians9% now, 9% by 2028
- Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians18% now, 18% by 2028
- Radiologic Technologists and Technicians27% now, 34% by 2028
- Neurodiagnostic Technologists23% now, 24% by 2028
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographers33% now, 33% by 2028
- Surgical Assistants0% now, 0% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.