Talk through the patient's history
Ask a patient about sight changes, medicines, and past health so you know which tests to run.
Career profile
Optometrist
Optometrists examine eyes, prescribe lenses, and diagnose and treat eye diseases.
Someone has trouble seeing, and you pin down the cause. Then you lay out the options: a new lens prescription, treatment, or a specialist referral.
A day in the life
Fine-tune the lens prescription
As the patient looks through a phoropter, you swap lenses until their answers point to the sharpest view.
Look for signs of eye disease
Examine the eyes for disease, read results like eye pressure, then decide whether to treat or refer.
Teach contact lens care
Explain contact lens care, then have the patient restate the steps so you can clear up any confusion.
Quick facts
Professional degree + license
United States
$136,570 median
United States · May 2025
9.5% projected growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Professional degree + licenseA Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) program takes four years after undergraduate preparation. You also need a state license.
Pay
$136,570 medianNational median annual pay for employed optometrists; the hourly equivalent is $65.66.
Outlook
9.5% projected growthAbout 2,000 openings per year are projected nationwide, on average.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You like comparing measurements with what a person tells you.
- You can repeat a careful check without rushing.
- You enjoy explaining unfamiliar information in everyday words.
Things to weigh
- Preparation takes years, and some jobs include evening or weekend appointments.
- You carry responsibility for treatment decisions and conversations about troubling findings.
Where AI may help
Automated instruments can estimate the eye’s focusing power, giving you a measurement to refine.
What people still lead
You connect measurements with symptoms, examine eye health, and explain the plan.
What we can’t predict yet
How much of an examination will become automated remains uncertain; measuring focus is only one part of the visit.
Pay in context
Earnings
Use these employee wages as a benchmark. They exclude self-employed practice owners.
The median and the spread
The median was $136,570 a year, or $65.66 an hour. The 10th and 90th percentiles were $74,870 and $202,180 annually. These describe the wage distribution, not starting and senior salaries.
Workplace type matters
Annual medians were $129,250 in optometrists’ offices, $145,630 in physicians’ offices, $159,250 in retail, and $207,030 in outpatient care centers. These are group comparisons, not promised offers.
Openings include replacements
Employment is projected to grow 9.5%, with about 2,000 openings annually. Openings include replacing people who leave the occupation as well as adding jobs.
Getting started
Finish college, then study optometry
- What the route involves
- Complete a bachelor’s degree and the school’s prerequisite courses, then enter an O.D. program combining classroom study with supervised patient care.
- What it can lead to
- Completing the professional program earns the O.D. degree needed for the licensing path.
Apply through an early-admission route
- What the route involves
- Indiana University allows applications before a bachelor’s degree with at least 90 college credits, required coursework, a cumulative grade point average of 3.6 or higher, and the Optometry Admission Test.
- What it can lead to
- If admitted, you can begin the four-year O.D. program after three undergraduate years.
- What to check
- This is a school-specific option. Meeting its minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.
Both routes lead to the same professional degree. You must also pass qualifying licensing exams and meet your state’s additional requirements. States set which medicines and procedures you may use.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get established
Build a reliable routine for exams and records, and coordinate appointments and patient handoffs with clinic staff.
Deepen your clinical skills
An optional postdoctoral residency can build experience managing eye disease and discussing cases with other medical professionals.
Lead or pursue advanced training
Owning a practice adds hiring, staff leadership, and financial decisions to your clinical work.
- After residency, a fellowship can offer further clinical and research training.
Where you can work
Your own optometry practice
Patient appointments share your attention with staff decisions and business finances. You may handle hiring, borrowing, and cash flow as well as examinations.
- Indoors
- Office
A Veterans Affairs teaching clinic
Eye care connects with other medical services. In residency settings, you manage eye disease, discuss care across disciplines, and learn through medical rotations and case discussions.
- Indoors
- Office
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Read the American Optometric Association’s comprehensive eye-exam overview. On paper, pair a patient-history question with a test it could help explain. Notice whether connecting a person’s story with measurements interests you.
Stay safe: Keep this a paper exercise; do not test someone’s eyesight or suggest treatment.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Optometrists — Occupational Outlook Handbook. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- O*NET OnLine. 29-1041.00 — Optometrists. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- O*NET OnLine / U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. National Wages: Optometrists. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational projections and worker characteristics. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- Indiana University School of Optometry. Apply to the Doctor of Optometry program. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- Indiana University School of Optometry. Doctor of Optometry. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- American Optometric Association. Comprehensive eye exams. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Optometry — Education and Training. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- American Optometric Association. Managing Practice Finances. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- American Optometric Association. Managing Personnel. Accessed 2026-10-04.