Optometrists

Career summary

Optometrists may also be called optometric physicians.

Optometrists use instruments, eye drops, and observation to determine the health of patients' eyes. They test for problems such as:

• Nearsightedness
• Farsightedness
• Color blindness
• Glaucoma

Optometrists also test depth perception and eye coordination. For patients who have vision problems, optometrists use special equipment to determine which corrective lenses or medication to use. After reviewing test results, optometrists put together a treatment plan that might include:

• Eyeglasses
• Contact lens
• Surgery
• Vision therapy

Optometrists explain treatment plans to patients and answer their questions. They teach patients about proper lighting, care of glasses and contact lenses, and general eye safety and health. They provide care before and after surgery. They also document their observations and test results in patients' charts.

Optometrists may consult with and refer patients to other health care workers if additional treatment is needed. Sometimes they refer patients to ophthalmologists (doctors who perform eye surgery). They also may refer patients to opticians who fill orders for eyeglasses and contact lens.

Some optometrists specialize in one area, such as contact lenses or vision therapy. Some specialize in working with one type of patient, such as children or the elderly.

Related careers

This career is part of the Health Science cluster of careers.

Related careers include:

• Dental Hygienists
• Dentists
• Ophthalmic Technicians
• Opticians
• Physician Assistants
• Podiatrists
• Respiratory Therapists
• Speech Pathologists and Audiologists

Military careers

• Optometrists

Job duties

Task list

The following list of tasks is specific to optometrists.

• Examine patients' eyes for vision problems and diseases.
• Use equipment to test the sharpness of patients' vision.
• Evaluate test results and decide on a treatment plan. May recommend eyeglasses, contact lenses, or other vision aids or procedures.
• Prescribe medications to treat eye diseases, if state laws allow them to prescribe.
• Explain treatment plans to patients. Answer patients' questions and teach them about eye safety and health.
• Consult with and refer patients to other health care workers if additional treatment is needed.
• Remove irritating objects from patients' eye.
• Treat patients before and after eye surgery
• Prescribe procedures to correct or maintain patients' vision.
• Administer vision therapy to those with low vision.
• Record test results and observations in patients' charts.
• May hire employees, keep records, and order equipment.

Common work activities

Optometrists perform the following tasks. These tasks are common to many careers.

• Get information needed to do the job
• Document and record information
• Make decisions and solve problems
• Assist and care for others
• Identify objects, actions, and events
• Update and use job-related knowledge
• Perform for or work with the public
• Analyze data or information
• Explain the meaning of information to others
• Establish and maintain relationships
• Communicate with supervisors, peers, or subordinates
• Process information
• Evaluate information against standards
• Guide, direct, and motivate others
• Organize, plan, and prioritize work
• Monitor events, materials, and surroundings
• Perform administrative tasks
• Provide advice and consultation to others
• Coordinate the work and activities of others
• Teach others
• Use computers
• Develop and build teams
• Communicate with people outside the organization
• Resolve conflicts and negotiate with others
• Monitor and control resources
• Develop goals and strategies
• Schedule work and activities
• Judge the value of objects, services, or people
• Recruit, interview, or hire others
• Coach others
• Convince others to buy goods or change their minds or actions
• Handle and move objects

Work requirements

Working conditions

In a typical work setting, optometrists:

Interpersonal relationships

• Have a high level of social contact. They work closely with patients.
• Have substantial responsibility for patient outcomes. Patients expect optometrists to help them see better.
• Are somewhat responsible for the health and safety of patients.
• Often are placed in conflict situations. Patients may become upset if glasses or corrective lenses do not fit properly, for example.
• Communicate with coworkers and patients daily by telephone or in person.
• Write letters and memos on a weekly basis.
• Work in a group or as part of a team.

Physical work conditions

• Always work indoors.
• Are exposed to disease or infections when interacting with patients on a daily basis.
• Work very near patients. They often work within inches of other people.

Work performance

• Must be very exact in their work. Errors could seriously injure patients or prevent them from seeing as well as they could.
• Make decisions on a daily basis that strongly impact patients.
• Rarely consult a supervisor before setting tasks for the day and making decisions. Most optometrists do not have supervisors, but may consult other optometrists before making critical decisions.
• May be competitive with other optometrists, especially if self-employed.
• Repeat the same physical and mental activities.
• Must meet strict weekly deadlines.

Hours/travel

• Generally work a standard 40-hour week.
• May work weekends and evenings to suit the needs of patients.
• May work at several clinics, optical stores, or vision care centers, and travel between them.
• Are often required to meet strict deadlines.

Physical demands

Optometrists frequently:

• Use their hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
• Sit for long periods of time.
• Repeat the same movements.

It is important for optometrists to be able to:

• See details of objects that are less than a few feet away.
• Understand the speech of another person.
• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Use fingers to grasp, move, or assemble very small objects.
• Make quick, precise adjustments to machine controls.
• Hold the arm and hand in one position or hold the hand steady while moving the arm.
• Use one or two hands to grasp, move, or assemble objects.
• See details of objects that are more than a few feet away.
• See differences between colors, shades, and brightness.

It is not as important, but still necessary, for optometrists to be able to:

• Determine the distance between objects.
• Move two or more limbs together (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while remaining in place.
• Use stomach and lower back muscles to support the body for long periods without getting tired.
• Hear sounds and recognize the difference between them.
• Choose quickly and correctly among various movements when responding to different signals.
• Make fast, repeated movements of fingers, hands, and wrists.

Skills and abilities

Optometrists need to:

Communicate

• Listen to others and ask questions.
• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Understand spoken information.
• Understand written information.
• Read and understand work-related materials.
• Write clearly so other people can understand.

Reason and problem solve

• Use reasoning to discover answers to problems.
• Combine several pieces of information and draw conclusions.
• Analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
• Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
• Follow guidelines to arrange objects or actions in a certain order.
• Develop rules that group items in various ways.
• Recognize the nature of a problem.
• Understand new information or materials by studying and working with them.
• Judge the costs and benefits of a possible action.
• Concentrate and not be distracted while performing a task.
• Make sense of information that seems without meaning or organization.
• Think of original, unusual, or creative ways to solve problems.
• Identify what must be changed to reach goals.
• Think of new ideas about a topic.

Use math and science

• Use scientific methods to solve problems.
• Choose a mathematical method or formula to solve problems.
• Add, subtract, multiply, and divide quickly and correctly.
• Use math skills to solve problems.

Manage oneself, people, time, and things

• Check how well one is learning or doing something.
• Manage the time of self and others.

Work with people

• Be aware of others' reactions and understand the possible causes.
• Look for ways to help people.
• Change behavior in relation to others' actions.
• Persuade others to approach things differently.
• Teach others how to do something.

Perceive and visualize

• Identify a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in distracting material.
• Quickly and accurately compare letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns.
• Imagine how something will look if it is moved around or its parts are rearranged.

Education and training

Educational programs

The programs of study listed below will help you prepare for the occupation or career cluster you are exploring.

Programs of study directly related to this occupation

• Optometry

Other programs of study to consider

• Ophthalmic Technology
• Opticianry
• Optometric Technology
• Pre-Health Services
• Vision Science

Training

To work as an optometrist, you typically need to:

• have a high school diploma or equivalent;
• complete three or more years of pre-optometry education;
• graduate from an optometry program; and
• have a license.

Education after high school

Optometry programs take four years to complete and grant a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree. Optometry training programs include classroom and laboratory study. You take courses in pharmacology, optics, biochemistry, and systemic disease. You also receive clinical training in the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders.

Most people who enter optometry programs have at least a bachelor's degree. Regardless of your major, you should take college courses in English, math, physics, chemistry, and biology.

Optometrists who wish to teach or do research need a master's or doctoral (PhD) degree.

Work experience

Optometrists who want to specialize in an area of optometry need additional training. This means you spend one year in a clinical residency program after graduating from optometry school.

On-the-job training

New optometrists may receive up to six months of training (although less is common) at their place of employment. This means you may spend time learning about specifics such as equipment, paperwork, and other office procedures.

Military training

The military does not provide the initial training to become an optometrist. However, it can provide work experience to those who have a Doctor of Optometry degree.

Helpful high school courses

In high school, take classes that prepare you for college. A college preparatory curriculum  may be different from your state's graduation requirements . Optometrists need a strong background in science and math. Try to take math through Trigonometry and science through Physics.

You should also consider taking some advanced courses in high school. This includes Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses if they are available in your school. If you do well in these courses, you may receive college credit for them. Advanced courses can also strengthen your college application.

Helpful electives to take in high school that prepare you for this career include:

• Anatomy and Physiology
• Computer Applications
• Health Education
• Introduction to Health Care
• Vision Care Assisting

Many optometrists are self-employed. If you want to run your own business some day, you should consider taking these courses as well:

• Accounting
• Entrepreneurship
• Introduction to Business

The courses listed above are meant to help you create your high school plan. If you have not already done so, talk to a school counselor or parent about the courses you are considering taking.

You should also check with a teacher or counselor to see if work-based learning opportunities are available in your school and community. These might include field trips, job shadowing, internships, and actual work experience. The goal of these activities is to help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.

Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an organization that interests you. By participating in activities you can have fun, make new friends, and learn about yourself. Maybe one of them will help direct you to a future career. Here are examples of activities and groups  that may be available in your high school or community.

Things to know

Many optometrists begin work in a group practice or clinic. Employers prefer to hire optometrists who already have their license. Employers look for optometrists who are able to relate to a variety of people.

Some employers will hire optometrists who do not have any experience. Other employers prefer to hire optometrists who have one or two years of experience.

Some employers require applicants to have completed a residency program. Employers also look for applicants who have a high grade point average and have done well on their national and state licensing exams. When hiring experienced workers, employers indicate that the willingness to learn new clinical procedures is important, since procedures vary from employer to employer.

Tips

Volunteer or summer work in a vision screening program is excellent experience. Observe an optometrist at her or his place of work or get a job in an optometrist's office to see what this work is like on a daily basis. An extra internship can be helpful when applying for competitive positions or a desirable area of practice.

Costs to workers

Establishing a private practice is expensive. Other expenses include national professional association dues. The cost of uniforms varies depending on one's personal preferences.

#updated 7/8/08 lh. Checked info 3/18/09, cj.

Licensing/certification

To be a practicing optometrist in Washington State, one must be licensed by the State Optometry Examining Committee. Licensing requirements include:

• a good moral character;
• a diploma from an accredited college or school of optometry approved by the Washington State Board of Optometry;
• completion of parts one, two, three, and the therapeutics section of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry exam;
• personal data statements;
• successful completion of a legal questionnaire;
• four-clock hours of HIV/AIDS education;
• certification to use or prescribe drugs for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes; and
• 50 hours of continuing education every two years after licensing.

For more information, contact:

Washington State Department of Health
Health Professions Quality Assurance Division
Board of Optometry 
PO Box 47877
Olympia, WA 98504
360.236.4700

For information on the national examination contact:

The National Board of Examiners in Optometry 
200 South College Street, #2010
Charlotte, SC 28202
1.800.969.EXAM

#2/5/20

Job listings

Listed below are links to job categories from the National Labor Exchange that relate to this career. Once you get a list of jobs, you can view information about individual jobs and find out how to apply. If your job search finds too many openings, or if you wish to search for jobs outside of Washington, you will need to refine your search.

• Optometrists 

To get a listing of current jobs from the WorkSource system, go to the WorkSource website .

Wages

Costs of establishing a practice are high and earnings are usually low during the first years. Income increases as the practice grows.

Wages vary by employer and area of the country. The optometrist's reputation and ability to attract new clients also affect wages.

Optometrists who work full time usually receive benefits. Typical benefits include sick leave, paid vacation, and health insurance. Some employers also provide a retirement plan. Those who are self-employed must provide their own insurance.

Employment and outlook

State Outlook

The table below provides information about the number of workers in this career in various regions. It also provides information about the expected growth rate and future job openings.

National employment

About 11% of optometrists are self-employed.

Major employers:

• Ophthalmologists' and optometrists' offices
• Doctors' offices
• Eyeglass stores

National outlook

Demand for this occupation will be strong as the population grows and ages and the demand for vision care expands. The baby boomers are now middle aged and many of them will experience vision difficulties. In addition, as adults live longer they experience more eye problems, such as cataracts.

More employees have vision care as part of their health insurance. And due to new federal health care laws, more people have health coverage.

This is a small occupation and few new jobs open. However, there are only a few optometry training programs and graduates should be able to find jobs. Those who are board-certified will have the best job prospects.

Other resources

American Academy of Optometry 
2909 Fairgreen Street
Orlando, FL 32803
321.710.3937

American Optometric Association 
243 North Lindbergh Boulevard
St. Louis, MO 63141
800.365.2219

American Optometric Student Association 

Explore Health Careers: Optometrist 

Optometric Physicians of Washington 
PO Box 1610
Woodenville, WA 98072-1610
425.455.0874

Optometry Career Guide  
(Association of Schools and College of Optometry)

Optometry students.com 
From the American Optometric Association

The Student Doctor Network 

References

Career cluster

• Health Science

Career path

• Investigative (Science)

O*Net  occupation

• Optometrists (29-1041.00) 

O*Net job zone 

• Job Zone 5 - Extensive preparation needed. Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience.

DOT occupation

• Optometrist (079.101-018) 

Strong Interest Inventory

• Optometrist

Holland occupational cluster

• Investigative/Social/Realistic

COPSystem

• Service Professional