Why You Should Get Your COA (Certified Ophthalmic Assistant)

1. The COA will give you basic knowledge to help you become a more competent tech.

You will find that as you study you will learn things that you never heard of before. I learned why a  rose bengal drop was used and the differences between soft and hard contact lenses. You will learn something new and you will become more competent because of it.

1. The COA will give future employers more confidence in hiring you

The general trend in jobs for ophthalmic assistants is going up. Go ahead and click on “Ophthalmic Assistant Jobs” you will see that almost all of them require experience and prefer those who have obtained their COA.

There are two things that employers know about you when they hire a COA. First, you must have already worked in the field for 6 months. Second, you are competent enough in the field to pass the challenging COA exam. If nothing else those two things give you a big advantage over other non-COA applicants.

1. The COA usually results in a pay raise.

According to pay scale.com the median hourly wage of ophthalmic assistant is $13. While the median salary for a certified ophthalmic assistant is $15. One year after you get your COA you are eligible to take the COT which will get you about $18.

So, there is some good data showing that you will be more competitive for jobs and make more money.

Check out my New Study Guide Study For the Certified Ophthalmic Assistant Exam

• ophthalmic assistant salary
• ophthalmic technician pay
• ophthalmic technician salary
• why become a COA