Health Technician (Optometry)

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Major duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Obtain document and record ophthalmic and medical information from patients to develop an accurate electronic progress note.
• Practice basic hygiene and infection control in a patient care setting.
• Follow eye clinic and patient care medical policies and procedures.
• Perform minor eyeglass repairs such as replacing nose pads and screws.
• Provide patient education for eye health and/or vision conditions to include assisting with patient contact lens insertion removal and hygiene (cleaning and disinfection) care.
• Accurately enter a phoropter the autorefractometry or habitual refractive prescription (i.e. eyeglass prescription) or lensometer findings including sphere cylinder and axis.
• Perform patient spectacle fitting and dispensing including selection of appropriate frame ophthalmic lenses interpupillary measurements (distance and near) and proper segment height determination as well as the ability to transpose sphere cylinder and axis.
• Provide basic triage of patient telephone calls or optometry requests.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the Required Documents section of this announcement.

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Basic Requirements:

United States Citizenship: Citizen of the United States.

Experience and Education.
(1) Experience. One year of experience as a health technician or assistant in the health care field demonstrating the applicants ability to perform the work or by demonstrating a basic understanding of work in the health care field;OR

(2) Education. Successful completion of two academic years above high school with a minimum of 12 semester hours related to health technician/assistant or health technician (optometry)/assistant or associate degree or completion of an independent study course in an optometry related technician or assistant field;OR

(3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. Examples are listed below:

(a) Six months of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge of optometry assistant theory and practices and general understanding of the health technician/assistant duties and one year above high school with a minimum of six semester hours of health technician/assistant or health technician (optometry)/assistant related courses

(b) Successful completion of a course for health care technicians or assistants hospital corpsmen medical service specialists or hospital training in a program given by the U.S. Armed Forces the U.S. Maritime Service or the U.S. Public Health Service may be substituted on a month-for-month basis.


Grade Determinations

Health Technician (Optometry) GS-04
(1) Experience. None beyond the basic requirements.


Health Technician (Optometry) GS-05
(1) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade

.(2) Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities (KSA). In addition to the experience above the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:(a) Knowledge of basic eye anatomy and function.
(b) Ability to obtain document and record ophthalmic and medical information from patients in order to develop an accurate electronic progress note
.(c) Ability to practice basic hygiene and infection control in a patient care setting.
(d) Ability to follow eye clinic and patient care medical policies and procedures.
(e) Ability to perform minor eyeglasses repairs such as replacing nose pads and screws


Health Technician (Optometry) GS-06
(1) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade.

(2) Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
(a) Ability to provide patient education for eye health and/or vision conditions to include assisting with patient contact lens insertion removal and hygiene (cleaning and disinfection) care.
(b) Ability to accurately enter into a phoropter the autorefractometry or habitual refractive prescription (i.e. eyeglasses prescription) or lensometer findings including sphere cylinder and axis.
(c) Ability to perform patient spectacle fitting and dispensing including selection of appropriate frame ophthalmic lenses interpupillary measurements (distance and near) and proper segment height determination as well as the ability to transpose sphere cylinder and axis.
(d) Ability to provide basic triage of patient telephone calls or optometry requests.
(e) Knowledge of ophthalmic medications and supplies needed in the process of restocking the eye clinic exam rooms.


Health Technician (Optometry) GS-07
(1) Experience. One year of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge skills and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled.

(2) Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. In addition to meeting the experience or educational requirements for this grade level the candidate must fully demonstrate the following KSAs:
(a) Ability to determine preliminary objective estimate and/or refinement of the optical status of the eye not to include the patients final subjective refraction.
(b) Ability to triage and manage eyeglasses issues (e.g. measurement of vertex distance base curve prism correction center thickness slab off Fresnel prism decentration etc.).
(c) Ability to perform accurate assessment of accommodation near point of convergence and ocular alignment (far and near).
(d) Ability to assist the eye care provider (optometrist or ophthalmologist) with ophthalmic procedures.
(e) Ability to assist with obtaining accurate ocular cultures and smears.
(f) Knowledge and ability to provide advanced patient education for eye health and/or vision conditions.

Preferred Experience: Previous Optometry and/or Ophthalmology Clinic experience.

References: For more information on this qualification standard please visit full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-4 to GS-7.

Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.