Ophthalmic Medical Technicians vs Occupational Therapy Aides AI Risk

Job 1

Job 2

Job 1

Job 2

medium risk

Ophthalmic Medical Technicians

50 shared · 18 different

core competencies

low risk

Occupational Therapy Aides

Side-by-Side Comparison

Occupational Therapy Aides leads 3–1

Metric	Ophthalmic Medical Technicians	Occupational Therapy Aides
Risk Score	31.5%	24.2%
Risk Tier	Medium Risk	Low Risk
Risk Percentile	48th	17th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)	5 / 15	5 / 15
Median Salary	$44,080	$37,370
Employment	77K	5K

Skill Comparison

Sorted by largest difference

Interacting With Computers

Psychology

Medicine and Dentistry

Computers and Electronics

Training and Teaching Others

Performing General Physical Activities

Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings

Thinking Creatively

Documenting/Recording Information

Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People

Public Safety and Security

Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Ophthalmic Medical Technicians

30%

total discount

Occupational Therapy Aides

32%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Ophthalmic Medical Technicians

5 of 15 at risk

86%Take and document patients' medical histories.

78%Measure visual acuity, including near, distance, pinhole, or dynamic visual acuity, using appropriate tests.

78%Conduct visual field tests to measure field of vision.

78%Conduct binocular disparity tests to assess depth perception.

51%Measure and record lens power, using lensometers.

Occupational Therapy Aides

5 of 15 at risk

84%Perform clerical, administrative, and secretarial duties, such as answering phones, restocking and ordering supplies, filling out paperwork, and scheduling appointments.

80%Report to supervisors or therapists, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, attendance, and accomplishments.

78%Assist educational specialists or clinical psychologists in administering situational or diagnostic tests to measure client's abilities or progress.

68%Observe patients' attendance, progress, attitudes, and accomplishments and record and maintain information in client records.

53%Prepare and maintain work area, materials, and equipment and maintain inventory of treatment and educational supplies.

Wage Comparison

Occupational Therapy Aides earns -$6,710(-15%) vs Ophthalmic Medical Technicians

Ophthalmic Medical TechniciansOccupational Therapy Aides

10th

$34,210$27,970

25th

$37,100$34,840

Median

$44,080$37,370

75th

$49,730$44,190

90th

$60,810$65,580

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Ophthalmic Medical Technicians2028–2035

Occupational Therapy Aides2028–2035

20242030203520402045

Occupational Therapy Aides has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Ophthalmic Medical Technicians.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

Salary weighted by displacement risk: salary × (1 − risk%)

Ophthalmic Medical Technicians

$30,199

from $44,080

Occupational Therapy Aides

$28,338

from $37,370

After adjusting for AI risk, Ophthalmic Medical Technicians offers $1,862 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

Unique to Ophthalmic

Unique to Occupational

Combined Protection Strategy

Regardless of which path you choose, focus on these protective factors

Creativity

Fine Manipulation

Social Intelligence

Regulatory Barriers

Ophthalmic Medical TechniciansOccupational Therapy Aides

Find transitions from Ophthalmic Medical Technicians Find transitions from Occupational Therapy Aides