Will ophthalmic medical technicians be replaced by AI?
Updated
Ophthalmic medical technicians score 17 of 100 for AI exposure. 77% of their task time still needs a person. AI speeds up the other 23%.
- 23% AI helps
- 77% Needs a person
Low exposure
Lower than 85% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 20 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can't do any of them end to end yet. It speeds up 5 and leaves 15 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Call patients to inquire about their post-operative status or recovery. Scripted post-op calls suit AI voice tools; staff handle escalations. | 55% AI helps |
| Take and document patients' medical histories. Patient interview is live; AI drafts charting from intake forms. | 50% AI helps |
| Assist patients to select eyewear. Frame fit and style advice; AI tools aid virtual try-on. | 40% AI helps |
| Instruct patients in the care and use of contact lenses. Live lens handling teaching; AI drafts education materials. | 25% AI helps |
| Maintain ophthalmic instruments or equipment. Physical upkeep and calibration; AI helps with maintenance logs. | 22% AI helps |
| Measure visual acuity, including near, distance, pinhole, or dynamic visual acuity, using appropriate tests. Patient responds to charts; tablet tests partly automated. | 18% Needs a person |
| Measure and record lens power, using lensometers. Lensometer placement is manual; readings could be auto-recorded. | 12% Needs a person |
| Conduct visual field tests to measure field of vision. Automated perimetry runs with patient responses; little AI help. | 12% Needs a person |
| Conduct binocular disparity tests to assess depth perception. Stereo tests run on devices with patient responses in person. | 12% Needs a person |
| Operate ophthalmic equipment, such as autorefractors, phoropters, tomographs, or retinoscopes. Operator must physically position patient and run machinery. | 10% Needs a person |
Show the other 10 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Take anatomical or functional ocular measurements of the eye or surrounding tissue, such as axial length measurements. Biometry requires positioning the device on the patient's eye. | 10% Needs a person |
| Measure corneal curvature with keratometers or ophthalmometers to aid in the diagnosis of conditions, such as astigmatism. Keratometer readings require manual device use on the patient. | 10% Needs a person |
| Conduct tonometry or tonography tests to measure intraocular pressure. Physical contact with patient and device to measure pressure. | 8% Needs a person |
| Conduct ocular motility tests to measure function of eye muscles. Eye movement observation requires live patient and examiner. | 8% Needs a person |
| Assess refractive conditions of eyes, using retinoscopes. Retinoscopy is a skilled manual exam on the live patient. | 8% Needs a person |
| Administer topical ophthalmic or oral medications. Physically administering drops or pills to patients is required. | 5% Needs a person |
| Clean or sterilize ophthalmic or surgical instruments. Physical handling of instruments; sterilization needs people. | 5% Needs a person |
| Assist patients to insert or remove contact lenses. Hands-on help placing lenses in the eye with patient. | 5% Needs a person |
| Adjust or make minor repairs to spectacles or eyeglasses. Manual repair of frames and lenses needs hands and tools. | 4% Needs a person |
| Assist physicians in performing ophthalmic procedures, including surgery. Physical assistance in the room during procedures and surgery. | 3% Needs a person |
How ophthalmic medical technicians compare
All occupations (923)
Healthcare practitioners and technical (89)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $45,570 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 71,010 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +21.4% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Measure visual acuity with pinhole and near charts
- Administer eye drops and oral medications chairside
- Assist patients to insert and remove contact lenses
- Adjust and repair spectacles with hand tools
- Calibrate tonometers and keep maintenance logs in AcuityPro
- Chart histories and reviews in EyeMD EMR
Safer roles nearby
2 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about ophthalmic medical technicians and AI
Will AI replace ophthalmic medical technicians?
Partly. About 2 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly post-operative recovery calls and medical history charting. What stays with people is hands-on eye care, since drops, lens insertion, pressure testing and procedure support all need a person in the room.
Which tasks is AI taking over?
Post-operative follow-up calls, with an exposure score of 55, suit scripted AI voice tools, and staff handle only the escalations. Medical history intake, scored 50, gains drafted charting from intake forms, while the live patient interview stays with the technician. Eyewear selection, scored 40, gains virtual try-on tools.
Which tasks stay with people?
Assisting physicians in procedures and surgery, scored 3, needs a person physically in the room. Administering eye drops, scored 5, requires hands on the patient. Tonometry, scored 8, needs physical contact with the patient and device to measure intraocular pressure.
How can ophthalmic medical technicians stay valuable?
Take on the hands-on work, such as lens insertion teaching and drop administration, that patients need in person. Run the AI-drafted post-op call script and step in on escalations. Check AI-drafted charting in EyeMD EMR against intake forms before you sign off. Keep tonometers calibrated and logged in AcuityPro.
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