Health Technician (Ophthalmology)

What you would do

• Screen patients and triage potentially urgent eye conditions.
• Assist with clinic-based eye surgery and eye procedures.
• Educate patients on eye care, including before and after surgery instructions.
• Test pupils and perform basic vision measurements for glasses prescriptions.
• Take patients' eye, medical, family, and social histories.
• Check and calibrate eye screening instruments.

Do you qualify for GS-5 to GS-8?

With experience: For GS-5, you need one year of experience in a health care field, such as nursing, medical assistant, or health technician. For GS-6 to GS-8, you need one year of experience at the grade below plus specific knowledge and skills (KSAs) listed in the announcement.

With education: Two years of college above high school with at least six semester hours directly related to health care, or an associate's degree in a health care field. You can also combine experience and education, such as six months of health care experience plus one year of college above high school. Education must come from schools recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Licenses and certifications you need:

• Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA) certification from JCAHPO. Applicants pending this certification may be referred but cannot be hired until it is complete.

How to apply well

What to send:

• Long-form resume or CV
• Transcript
• DD-214 if claiming veterans' preference
• SF-15 if claiming 10-point preference, with proof
• VA disability letter if applicable
• Professional certification proof if applicable

How you will be rated: You are rated on how well you meet the qualifications, based on your questionnaire and documents. Your application and supporting documents will be verified, and missing or unclear information may lower your rating or make you ineligible.

Tips for this job:

• Confirm your COA certification before applying, since you cannot be hired until it is complete.
• If you use education to qualify, attach your transcript to your application package.
• Describe your health care experience clearly with dates and duties, because the VA verifies it. The deadline is 11:59 PM ET on 12/18/2026.

Good to know before you apply

Schedule: Full-time, Monday to Friday, either 7:30am to 4:00pm or 8:30am to 5:00pm.

Incentives and relocation: None. Relocation and recruitment incentives are not authorized.

Conditions of employment:

• U.S. citizenship required
• Drug test (urinalysis) before appointment
• Selective Service registration for males born after 12/31/1959
• Proficient in written and spoken English
• Background and security investigation
• Online onboarding and acceptable ID, including REAL ID after May 7, 2025
• Seasonal influenza vaccination required
• 1 or 2-year trial period
• Physical requirements under VA Directive and Handbook 5019

Job details

Salary

$55,678 – $99,291 per year

Pay scale and grade

GS-5 to GS-8 · General Schedule

Location

Los Angeles, California

Appointment

Permanent

Work schedule

Full-time

Service

Excepted

Openings

1

Security clearance

Not Required

Travel

Not required

Drug test

Not required

Supervisory

No

Occupation

Health Aid And Technician (0640)

Announcement

CBSX-13087675-27-MB-OCA