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Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses vs Ophthalmic Medical Technicians: what changes?

Consider Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses if you want to care for ill, injured, or convalescing patients or persons with disabilities in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, private homes, group homes, and similar institutions. Consider Ophthalmic Medical Technicians if you would rather assist ophthalmologists by performing ophthalmic clinical functions. Both list postsecondary nondegree award; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses and Ophthalmic Medical Technicians. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences
What this means in practice

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Start with earnings, the route into the job, training, available openings, and a day-to-day reality.

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses

National median pay (2025)
$64,400
Route into the job
Postsecondary nondegree award
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate
Observe patients, charting and reporting changes in patients' conditions, such as adverse reactions to medication or treatment, and taking any necessary action.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
51,800
Know before you choose

Exposure to illness or infection is a recurring part of the work context, even when safety procedures are followed.

See the full Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses brief

Ophthalmic Medical Technicians

National median pay (2025)
$45,570
Route into the job
Postsecondary nondegree award
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate
Take and document patients' medical histories.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
11,800
Know before you choose

The work routinely happens in close physical proximity to other people; personal space is limited.

See the full Ophthalmic Medical Technicians brief
See scores, detailed data, and how the comparison works

How the national numbers differ

1

Ophthalmic Medical Technicians has the edge on projected growth

Ophthalmic Medical Technicians is at 21.4% projected growth, compared with 3% projected growth for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses.

2

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses has the edge on median pay

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses is at $64,400, compared with $45,570 for Ophthalmic Medical Technicians.

3

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses has the edge on annual openings

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses is at 51,800 annual openings, compared with 11,800 annual openings for Ophthalmic Medical Technicians.

63.8/ 100

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses

vs
58/ 100

Ophthalmic Medical Technicians

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses vs Ophthalmic Medical Technicians

DimensionLicensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesOphthalmic Medical Technicians
Median pay (2025)$64,400$45,570
Pay percentile56 percentile18.8 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)3%21.4%
Annual openings (2025–2035)51,80011,800
2025 employment666,90072,500
How you qualifyPostsecondary nondegree awardPostsecondary nondegree award
O*NET preparation groupJob Zone 3Job Zone 3
Related work experienceNo prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job trainingBLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses briefRead Ophthalmic Medical Technicians brief

Try another comparison

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses vs Psychiatric Technicians

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
$64,400 · 3% growth
Psychiatric Technicians
$45,130 · 22.3% growth
Compare careers →

Ophthalmic Medical Technicians vs Psychiatric Technicians

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Ophthalmic Medical Technicians
$45,570 · 21.4% growth
Psychiatric Technicians
$45,130 · 22.3% growth
Compare careers →
ChooseField compares fields using public labor-market and professional sources.