Optometrists

Salary Overview

Job Outlook (2024–2034)

Key Skills

Knowledge Areas

What They Do

• Examine eyes, using observation, instruments, and pharmaceutical agents, to determine visual acuity and perception, focus, and coordination and to diagnose diseases and other abnormalities, such as glaucoma or color blindness.
• Analyze test results and develop a treatment plan.
• Prescribe, supply, fit and adjust eyeglasses, contact lenses, and other vision aids.
• Prescribe medications to treat eye diseases if state laws permit.
• Educate and counsel patients on contact lens care, visual hygiene, lighting arrangements, and safety factors.
• Remove foreign bodies from the eye.
• Provide patients undergoing eye surgeries, such as cataract and laser vision correction, with pre- and post-operative care.
• Consult with and refer patients to ophthalmologist or other health care practitioner if additional medical treatment is determined necessary.

Tools & Technology

★ = Hot Technology (in-demand)

Education Requirements

Typical entry-level education: Related Work Experience

Related Careers

Careers with the highest skill compatibility from Optometrists.

A Day in the Life

An optometrist's typical day begins with reviewing patient charts and preparing for a schedule that may include 20 to 30 comprehensive eye examinations. Each exam involves a systematic evaluation of visual acuity, refraction to determine prescription needs, and assessment of eye health using instruments like slit lamps, tonometers, and retinal cameras. Between routine exams, they may see patients with urgent concerns such as eye infections, foreign body removal, or sudden vision changes requiring immediate attention. The afternoon often includes specialty appointments for contact lens fittings, pediatric evaluations, or low vision assessments. Administrative tasks include reviewing diagnostic test results, conferring with ophthalmologists about referrals, and documenting clinical findings in electronic health records. Many optometrists also spend time educating patients about eye health, explaining conditions like glaucoma or macular degeneration, and discussing treatment options. The workday typically runs eight to nine hours with standard clinical hours, though some practices offer evening or weekend appointments for patient convenience.

Work Environment

Optometrists work primarily in private practices, group practice settings, or retail optical locations that are clean, well-lit, and climate-controlled clinical environments. Examination rooms are equipped with specialized instruments including phoropters, slit lamps, retinal cameras, and optical coherence tomography machines that require regular maintenance and updates. The work involves sitting for extended periods during examinations, with frequent transitions between sitting and standing as they move between exam rooms. Patient interaction is constant and central to the role, requiring strong interpersonal skills and the ability to explain complex medical concepts in accessible terms. Many optometrists own their practices, which adds business management responsibilities including staff supervision, financial planning, and inventory management. Corporate optometry settings within retail chains offer structured environments with less business management burden but potentially less clinical autonomy. The profession generally offers a comfortable and controlled work environment with minimal physical demands beyond prolonged sitting and repetitive use of diagnostic instruments.

Career Path & Advancement

Becoming an optometrist requires completing a four-year Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree from an accredited school of optometry, typically preceded by a four-year undergraduate degree with prerequisite science coursework. Admission to optometry school requires competitive scores on the Optometry Admission Test (OAT) and strong academic performance in biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics. After graduating, all optometrists must pass the National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO) examinations and obtain state licensure to practice. Some graduates pursue one-year residency programs in specialties like ocular disease, pediatric optometry, or low vision rehabilitation to deepen expertise. Early career options include joining established group practices, working in corporate optical settings, or serving in community health centers. Many optometrists eventually open their own private practices, building patient bases over years of community involvement. Leadership opportunities exist through professional organizations like the American Optometric Association, state optometric boards, and optometry school faculty positions.

Specializations

Ocular disease management is a growing specialization where optometrists focus on diagnosing and treating conditions like glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy using advanced diagnostic technology and pharmacological interventions. Pediatric optometry involves evaluating and managing children's vision, including amblyopia treatment, strabismus management, and myopia control programs. Contact lens specialists handle complex fitting cases including scleral lenses for keratoconus, hybrid lenses for irregular corneas, and orthokeratology for myopia management. Low vision rehabilitation helps patients with irreversible vision loss maximize their remaining sight through specialized optical devices and adaptive strategies. Sports vision optometry focuses on optimizing visual performance for athletes through specialized testing, training, and protective eyewear. Neuro-optometry addresses visual problems resulting from traumatic brain injuries, strokes, and neurological conditions through vision rehabilitation therapy. Geriatric optometry concentrates on the unique visual needs and ocular conditions prevalent in aging populations, including cataract management and fall prevention related to vision.

Pros & Cons

Industry Insight

The optometry profession is experiencing significant scope-of-practice expansion in many states, with legislation increasingly allowing optometrists to perform minor surgical procedures and prescribe a broader range of medications. Telemedicine and remote refraction technologies are creating new service delivery models, though also raising questions about the appropriate standard of care for virtual eye examinations. The prevalence of myopia is increasing dramatically worldwide, creating growing demand for myopia management and control strategies that represent a new practice revenue stream. Artificial intelligence applications in retinal imaging are emerging as screening tools that may reshape the referral relationship between optometrists and ophthalmologists. The integration of optometry into larger healthcare systems and accountable care organizations is positioning optometrists as essential primary care providers who can detect systemic diseases through eye examinations. Private equity investment in optometry practices is creating consolidation trends that offer financial opportunities but also raise concerns about clinical autonomy. Increasing emphasis on preventive care and the recognition that comprehensive eye exams can detect conditions like diabetes and hypertension are expanding the perceived value of optometric services.