Look through a slit lamp
Examine the cornea and lens through a slit lamp, a microscope that shines a thin strip of light.
Career profile
Ophthalmologist
Ophthalmologists diagnose eye diseases and treat them with medicine, procedures, or surgery.
Reading has become hard for a patient, so you find what is changing in the eye, say if surgery could help, and follow healing afterward.
A day in the life
Weigh findings, history and goals
Explain likely benefits and risks before you and the patient choose medicine or a procedure.
Replace a cloudy lens
In cataract surgery, remove the clouded natural lens and fit a tiny artificial one with precise, steady hands.
Check healing at a follow-up
Examine the operated eye, ask if vision has changed, watch for complications, and decide whether to adjust medicine.
Quick facts
Medical degree + residency
United States
$300,080/year
United States · May 2025
4.5% projected growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Medical degree + residencyThis physician specialty requires medical school followed by training in eye medicine and surgery.
Pay
$300,080/yearNational median employee wage, equivalent to $144.27/hour, for ophthalmologists except pediatric specialists.
Outlook
4.5% projected growthAbout 200 openings a year nationwide, including replacement openings; excludes pediatric specialists.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You enjoy precise hand work that takes practice to do well.
- You like connecting what you see with what someone tells you.
- You want to explain treatment choices as well as perform procedures.
Things to weigh
- The usual college, medical school, and specialty-training sequence takes about twelve years after high school; a fellowship adds more.
- An operation can have complications. You need to discuss that possibility honestly and remain involved when recovery is difficult.
- Emergency coverage can mean nights and being on call. The schedule depends on your practice and hospital responsibilities.
Where AI may help
Software can screen photographs of the retina for certain diabetes-related damage. One authorized system automatically detects more-than-mild disease in adults with diabetes who have not already been diagnosed with it.
What people still lead
You connect findings with symptoms and medical history, choose treatment with the patient, and perform surgery. A screening result does not provide that whole course of care.
What we can’t predict yet
How much image review shifts to software remains uncertain. Wider use could change which patients reach your clinic and how you divide time between screening and treatment.
Pay in context
Earnings
The national figures below cover employed ophthalmologists except pediatric specialists. They describe wages, not the profits of owning a practice.
The median and national spread
The May 2025 median was $300,080 a year, equivalent to $144.27 an hour. The 10th-to-90th-percentile span was $100,180–$489,710 annually. These are points in the wage distribution, not starting and senior salaries.
Openings include replacement hiring
Employment is projected to grow 4.5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 200 openings annually from growth and replacement needs. That national estimate does not tell you how many positions a particular city will have.
Getting started
Earn a medical degree
Typically a bachelor's degree followed by four years of medical school.
- What the route involves
- Complete college preparation, then earn a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree. Study medical sciences and rotate through patient care under experienced physicians.
- What it can lead to
- A medical degree is the foundation for entering specialty residency training; an ophthalmology place is not guaranteed.
- What to check
- The degree alone does not grant a medical license.
Train as an ophthalmology resident
The standard sequence includes an internship year and three years of ophthalmology training.Paid
- What the route involves
- After medical school and admission to a residency, examine patients, manage eye disease, and learn operations with faculty supervision and increasing responsibility.
- What it can lead to
- Completing specialty training prepares you for general ophthalmology practice or further fellowship training.
- What to check
- Independent practice also requires a state medical license. Boards review your education, postgraduate training, licensing examinations, and application; exact requirements vary by state.
The ordinary route has two linked steps: earn a medical degree, then train in ophthalmology. These are successive parts of the path.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization. This path also has a credential or licensing boundary; see the requirements and limits.
Get established
Build continuity with patients: see how their vision and recovery change after the treatment you chose together.
Develop your judgment
Become more confident about which cases you can manage and when a patient needs another specialist's expertise.
Focus on a specialty
A fellowship can deepen your work in areas such as glaucoma, cornea, or retina, with concentrated experience in their medical and surgical treatment.
Where you can work
Outpatient eye clinic
Your work centers on scheduled visits: new concerns, ongoing disease care, and checks after surgery. You see patients return and can compare today's findings with earlier visits.
- Indoors
- Office
Teaching hospital and eye institute
Work can span specialty clinics, operating rooms, and emergency consultations. You may teach residents while caring for patients, and emergency coverage can add overnight responsibilities.
- Indoors
- On call
- Safety-sensitive
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Read the National Eye Institute's patient explanation of cataract surgery. Using a simple eye diagram, explain why replacing the lens can help and why follow-up still matters. Notice whether you enjoy connecting anatomy, an operation, and a patient's questions.
Stay safe: Keep this a reading-and-explanation exercise; do not examine or give treatment advice to someone.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. 29-1241.00 — Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, national estimates — pinned facts binding. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment Projections Table 1.2, 2025–2035 — pinned facts binding. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- American College of Surgeons. Ophthalmology. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Academy of Ophthalmology EyeWiki. Slit Lamp Examination. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- National Eye Institute. Cataract Surgery. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Johns Hopkins Medicine. Cataract Surgery. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. IDx-DR De Novo classification order, DEN180001. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Physicians and Surgeons — education context. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Federation of State Medical Boards. About Physician Licensure. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- University of Pittsburgh Department of Ophthalmology. Ophthalmology Residency Program Details. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Board of Ophthalmology. Requirements for Certification. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- University of Pittsburgh Department of Ophthalmology. Fellowships. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Johns Hopkins Medicine. Wilmer Eye Institute. Accessed 2026-10-09.