Optometrists
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.
What it pays
Optometrists earn a median of $65.66/hr — about $136,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $35.99/hr; the top 10% earn $97.20/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Optometrists earn a median of $65.66/hr — about $136,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $35.99/hr; the top 10% earn $97.20/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually 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.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Doctoral degree. Overall preparation: extensive preparation (Job Zone 5 of 5).
The feel of the work
The work is mostly indoors; you're around people constantly; it rewards working independently; precision matters — small details carry weight. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 11.5% of optometrists are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are analytical, people-focused and hands-on.
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Quick questions
- How much does a optometrist make?
- The median pay is $65.66 per hour — roughly $136,500 a year, with the real range running from about $35.99/hr (10th percentile) to $97.20/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a optometrist?
- The typical entry-level education is: Doctoral degree. Overall preparation level: extensive preparation (Job Zone 5 of 5).
- What does a optometrist actually do all day?
- 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.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.