Optometrists

Summary

Optometrists use an a number of instruments to check patients’ vision and determine their need for corrective lenses.

Quick Facts: Optometrists
2010 Median Pay	$94,990 per year $45.67 per hour
Entry-Level Education	Doctoral or professional degree
Work Experience in a Related Occupation	None
On-the-job Training	None
Number of Jobs, 2010	34,200
Job Outlook, 2010-20	33% (Much faster than average)
Employment Change, 2010-20	11,300

What Optometrists Do

Optometrists perform eye exams to check for vision problems and diseases. They prescribe eyeglasses or contact lenses as needed.

Work Environment

Most optometrists work in stand-alone offices of optometry. A small number of optometrists work in doctors’ offices, retail stores, outpatient clinics, and hospitals. Most work full time, and some work evenings and weekends to suit patients’ needs.

How to Become an Optometrist

Optometrists must complete a Doctor of Optometry program and get a state license. Doctor of Optometry programs take 4 years to complete after earning an undergraduate degree.  

Pay

The median annual wage of optometrists was $94,990 in May 2010.

Job Outlook

Employment of optometrists is expected to grow by 33 percent from 2010 to 2020, much faster than the average for all occupations.

Similar Occupations

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of optometrists with similar occupations.

O*NET

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Contacts for More Information

Learn more about optometrists by contacting these additional resources.

What Optometrists Do About this section

Optometrists check patients for common vision problems, like near or farsightedness.

Optometrists examine the eyes and other parts of the body related to vision. They also diagnose, treat, and manage diseases, injuries, and other disorders of the eyes. They prescribe eyeglasses or contact lenses as needed.

Duties

Optometrists typically do the following:

• Perform vision tests to check for sight problems, such as nearsightedness or farsightedness
• Check for eye diseases, such as glaucoma
• Prescribe eyeglasses, contact lenses, and medications
• Provide other treatments, such as vision therapy or low-vision rehabilitation
• Provide pre- and postoperative care to patients undergoing eye surgery—for example, examining a patient’s eyes the day after surgery
• Evaluate patients for the presence of diseases such as diabetes and refer them to other health care providers as needed
• Promote eye health by counseling patients, including explaining how to clean and wear contact lenses

Some optometrists spend much of their time providing specialized care, particularly if they are working in a group practice with other optometrists or doctors. For example, some optometrists mostly treat patients with only partial or no sight, a condition known as low vision. Others may focus on pre- or postoperative care if they work in a facility that does many eye surgeries. Optometrists may also teach or do research in optometry colleges or work as consultants in the eye care industry. Those who teach are classified as postsecondary school teachers. For more information, see the profile on postsecondary teachers.   

Many optometrists own their practice and may spend more time on general business activities such as hiring employees and ordering supplies. Optometrists should not be confused with ophthalmologists and with dispensing opticians. Ophthalmologists are physicians who perform eye surgery and treat eye disease in addition to examining eyes and prescribing eyeglasses and contact lenses. Dispensing opticians fit and adjust eyeglasses and in some states fill contact lens prescriptions that an optometrist or ophthalmologist has written. For more information, see the profile on dispensing opticians.

Work Environment About this section

Some optometrists work with people who are blind or have limited sight, known as low vision.

Optometrists held about 34,200 jobs in 2010. About half of optometrists work in stand-alone offices of optometry. Optometrists may also work in doctors’ offices, retail stores, outpatient clinics, and hospitals. Some optometrists are self-employed.

As shown in the following tabulation, 50 percent of optometrists were employed in offices of optometrists in 2010:

About 22 percent of optometrists were self-employed in 2010.

Work Schedules

Most optometrists work full time. Some work evenings and weekends to suit patients’ needs.

How to Become an Optometrist About this section

Doctor of Optometry programs combine classroom learning and clinical experience.

Optometrists must complete a Doctor of Optometry program and get a state license. Doctor of Optometry programs take 4 years to complete after earning an undergraduate degree.

Education

Optometrists need a Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree. In 2011, there were 20 accredited Doctor of Optometry programs in the United States, one of which was in Puerto Rico. Applicants to O.D. programs must have completed at least 3 years of postsecondary education, including coursework in biology, chemistry, physics, English, and mathematics. In practice, most students get a bachelor’s degree before enrolling in a Doctor of Optometry program. Applicants must also take the Optometry Admission Test (OAT) to apply to O.D. programs.

Doctor of Optometry programs take 4 years to complete. They combine classroom learning and supervised clinical experience. Coursework includes anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, optics and visual science, and the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders of the visual system. After finishing the O.D., some optometrists do a 1-year residency program to get advanced clinical training in a specialty. Specialty areas for residency programs include family practice, primary eye care, pediatric or geriatric optometry, vision therapy and rehabilitation, cornea and contact lenses, refractive and ocular surgery, low vision rehabilitation, ocular disease, and community health optometry.

Licenses

All states require optometrists to be licensed. To get a license, a prospective optometrist must have an O.D. from an accredited optometry school and must complete all sections of the National Boards in Optometry. Some states require an additional exam. Many states require optometrists to take continuing education and renew their license periodically.

Important Qualities

Decision-making skills. Optometrists must be able to evaluate the results of a variety of optical tests and decide on the best course of treatment for a patient.

Interpersonal skills. Because they spend much of their time examining patients, optometrists must be able to ensure that their patients are at ease.

Speaking skills. Optometrists must be able to clearly explain eye-care instructions to their patients, as well as answer patients’ questions.

Pay About this section

The median annual wage of optometrists was $94,990 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $49,630, and the top 10 percent earned $166,400 or more.

Most optometrists work full time. Some work evenings and weekends to suit patients’ needs.

Job Outlook About this section

Employment of optometrists is expected to grow by 33 percent from 2010 to 2020, much faster than the average for all occupations. However, because it is a small occupation, the fast growth will result in only about 11,300 new jobs over the 10-year period. Because vision problems tend to occur more frequently later in life, more optometrists will be needed to meet the health needs of an aging population. Also, the number of people with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, has increased in recent years. These diseases frequently cause vision problems and require treatment from optometrists. In addition, an increasing number of insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, provide some vision or eye-care insurance coverage.

Job Prospects

Because the number of optometrists is limited by the number of accredited optometry schools, licensed optometrists should expect good job prospects. Admission to Doctor of Optometry programs is competitive, however, as it is for professional degree programs in other fields. In addition, a large number of currently practicing optometrists is expected to retire over the coming decade, creating opportunities for new optometrists.

Contacts for More Information About this section

For more information about optometrists, including a list of accredited optometric institutions of education, visit

Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry

For more information about optometry, visit

American Optometric Association

The board of optometry in each state can supply information on licensing requirements. For information on specific admission requirements and sources of financial aid, contact the admissions officers of individual optometry schools.