Job prospects Optometric Assistant in Prince Edward Island

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as an "optometric assistant" in Prince Edward Island or across Canada.

Job opportunities in Prince Edward Island

These outlooks were updated on November 29, 2023.

Prospects over the next 3 years

The employment outlook will be good for Other assisting occupations in support of health services (NOC 33109) in Prince Edward Island for the 2023-2025 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to several new positions.
• A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
• There are a moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.

The demand for workers in this field is expected to rise in order to meet the health care needs of a growing and aging population. This occupation may also be affected by technology as certain procedures become more automated, mitigating job demand. This occupation also includes assistants to alternative health care practitioners such as massage therapists, homeopaths, naturopaths and acupuncturists, among others who have become more popular sources of medical services in recent years.

Here are some key facts about Other assisting occupations in support of health services in Prince Edward Island:

• Approximately 200 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
• Other assisting occupations in support of health services mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Hospitals (NAICS 622): 56%
  • Ambulatory health care services (NAICS 621): 17%
  • Social assistance (NAICS 624): 9%
  • Other retail stores (NAICS 44-45, except 445): 8%
  • Nursing and residential care facilities (NAICS 623): 7%
• The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
  • Full-time workers: 72% compared to 84% for all occupations
  • Part-time workers: 28% compared to 16% for all occupations
• 56% of other assisting occupations in support of health services work all year, while 44% work only part of the year, compared to 59% and 41% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 42 weeks compared to 41 weeks for all occupations.
• The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
  • Men: 14% compared to 51% for all occupations
  • Women: 86% compared to 49% for all occupations
• The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
  • no high school diploma: 5% compared to 11% for all occupations
  • high school diploma or equivalent: 23% compared to 28% for all occupations
  • apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 10% compared to 11% for all occupations
  • college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 33% compared to 25% for all occupations
  • bachelor's degree: 23% compared to 17% for all occupations
  • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 5% compared to 8% for all occupations