Career Overview
Diagnose, manage, and treat conditions and diseases of the human eye and visual system. Examine eyes and visual system, diagnose problems or impairments, prescribe corrective lenses, and provide treatment. May prescribe therapeutic drugs to treat specific eye conditions.
Also Known As
- Optometrist
- Optometry Doctor (OD)
- Therapeutic Optometrist
Alternate Job Titles
- Optometrist
- Optometry Doctor (OD)
- Therapeutic Optometrist
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- 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.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Biology
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Education and Training
- Therapy and Counseling
- Psychology
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Speaking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Science
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Oral Expression
- Problem Sensitivity
- Oral Comprehension
- Near Vision
- Deductive Reasoning
- Inductive Reasoning
- Written Comprehension
- Flexibility of Closure
- Written Expression
- Information Ordering
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Integrity
- Intellectual Curiosity
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Working Conditions
- Achievement
- Recognition
- Relationships
- Independence
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Doctoral Degree
On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month
Education Details: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Experience Required: Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Apple Safari
- Intuit QuickBooks
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Edge
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft SQL Server
- Microsoft Word
- Mozilla Firefox
Tools & Equipment
- 4-well lens holders
- 8-well lens flippers
- Adult fixation targets
- Amsler grids
- Autorefractors
- Binocular indirect ophthalmoscopes
- Biomicroscopes
- Broken wheel visual acuity cards
- Child fixation targets
- Clear 20 diopter condensing lenses
- Clear 78 diopter condensing lenses
- Color vision testing devices
- Combined cover paddle occluders
- Contact lens loupes
- Corneal pachymeters
Work Environment
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Contact With Others
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $70,060 |
| Median | $134,830 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $203,210 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 41,890
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric
Education: Post-Doctoral Training
Median Salary: >$239,200
Pediatric Surgeons
Education: Not specified
Median Salary: >$239,200
General Internal Medicine Physicians
Education: Post-Doctoral Training
Median Salary: $236,350
Dermatologists
Education: Doctoral Degree
Median Salary: >$239,200
Urologists
Education: Post-Doctoral Training
Median Salary: >$239,200
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.