AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 29-2099.05

Will AI replace Ophthalmic Medical Technologists?

Ophthalmic Medical Technologists: AI can already handle 29 of 31 tasks; the work mostly needs a standard-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 31 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Ophthalmic Medical Technologists, from most to least exposed. 29 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Collect ophthalmic measurements or other diagnostic information, using ultrasound equipment, such as A-scan ultrasound biometry or B-scan ultrasonography equipment. 90 Estimated Standard 4.5
Measure the thickness of the retinal nerve, using scanning laser polarimetry techniques to aid in diagnosis of glaucoma. 90 Estimated Standard 4.1
Calculate corrections for refractive errors. 80 Estimated Frontier 4.6
Conduct tonometry or tonography tests to measure intraocular pressure. 75 Estimated Standard 5.0
Take and document patients' medical histories. 75 Estimated Efficient 4.9
Take anatomical or functional ocular measurements, such as axial length measurements, of the eye or surrounding tissue. 75 Estimated Standard 4.8
Measure visual acuity, including near, distance, pinhole, or dynamic visual acuity, using appropriate tests. 75 Estimated Standard 4.7
Administer topical ophthalmic or oral medications. 75 Estimated Efficient 4.7
Measure and record lens power, using lensometers. 75 Estimated Efficient 4.6
Clean or sterilize ophthalmic or surgical instruments. 75 Estimated Efficient 4.5
Educate patients on ophthalmic medical procedures, conditions of the eye, and appropriate use of medications. 75 Estimated Standard 4.4
Conduct ocular motility tests to measure function of eye muscles. 75 Estimated Standard 4.3
Conduct visual field tests to measure field of vision. 75 Estimated Standard 4.2
Create three-dimensional images of the eye, using computed tomography (CT). 75 Estimated Efficient 4.2
Measure corneal thickness, using pachymeter or contact ultrasound methods. 75 Estimated Standard 4.2
Measure corneal curvature with keratometers or ophthalmometers to aid in the diagnosis of conditions, such as astigmatism. 75 Estimated Standard 4.2
Assist physicians in performing ophthalmic procedures, including surgery. 75 Estimated Efficient 4.1
Supervise or instruct ophthalmic staff. 75 Estimated Standard 4.1
Perform fluorescein angiography of the eye. 75 Estimated Standard 4.1
Photograph patients' eye areas, using clinical photography techniques, to document retinal or corneal defects. 75 Estimated Efficient 4.0
Conduct tests, such as the Amsler Grid test, to measure central visual field used in the early diagnosis of macular degeneration, glaucoma, or diseases of the eye. 75 Estimated Standard 3.9
Call patients to inquire about their post-operative status or recovery. 75 Estimated Standard 3.6
Instruct patients in the care and use of contact lenses. 75 Estimated Standard 3.5
Conduct low vision blindness tests. 75 Estimated Standard 3.5
Perform advanced ophthalmic procedures, including electrophysiological, electrophysical, or microbial procedures. 75 Estimated Efficient 3.3
Perform ophthalmic triage, in the office or by phone, to assess severity of patients' conditions. 65 Estimated Frontier 4.5
Assess refractive condition of eyes, using retinoscope. 65 Estimated Standard 4.3
Conduct binocular disparity tests to assess depth perception. 65 Estimated Standard 3.7
Assess abnormalities of color vision, such as amblyopia. 65 Estimated Standard 3.6
Maintain ophthalmic instruments or equipment. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.0
Perform slit lamp biomicroscopy procedures to diagnose disorders of the eye, such as retinitis, presbyopia, cataracts, or retinal detachment. 10 Estimated No tier 4.6

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 31 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 31 of 31. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.

The model tier this role needs

A standard-tier model or lower covers 90% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 97% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 4% is hands-on.

Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.

Wages, employment and outlook

US employment
182,610
Median annual wage
$50,290
Middle half of earners
$44,170 to $64,340
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
+5.2%

Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034. BLS publishes these figures by SOC code, so O*NET occupations that share a SOC code show the same figures.

Adjacent roles

The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Ophthalmic Medical Technologists and AI

Will AI replace Ophthalmic Medical Technologists?

AI already handles 29 of the 31 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 71 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +5.2% from 2024 to 2034.

What is the AI exposure of Ophthalmic Medical Technologists?

71 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 31 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 31 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Ophthalmic Medical Technologists tasks can AI already do?

The tasks with the highest exposure are: Collect ophthalmic measurements or other diagnostic information, using ultrasound equipment, such as A-scan ultrasound biometry or B-scan ultrasonography equipment; Measure the thickness of the retinal nerve, using scanning laser polarimetry techniques to aid in diagnosis of glaucoma; Calculate corrections for refractive errors. They are three of the 29 tasks that reach 60 or more.

What AI model tier does this role need?

A standard-tier model or lower covers 90% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.

How many people work as Ophthalmic Medical Technologists, and what do they earn?

182,610 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $50,290 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +5.2% from 2024 to 2034.

How to cite

Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.

JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Ophthalmic Medical Technologists. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/ophthalmic-medical-technologists

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