Job Description of Optometrists: Optometrists provide primary vision care. They are also called Doctors of Optometry or ODs.
Employment Facts for Optometrists: Optometrists held about 34,000 jobs in 2004. Some held more than one job, sometimes having their own practices and also working in other optometrists' practices or in vision care centers.
Educational Requirements for Optometrists: To become an optometrist one must complete a four year program at an accredited optometry school, following at least three years of study at an accredited college or university.
Other Requirements for Optometrists: All states and the District of Columbia require that optometrists be licensed. After completion of the Doctor of Optometry degree, one must pass both a written and a clinical State board examination. In many states applicants can substitute the examinations of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry.
Job Outlook for Optometrists: Employment of optometrists is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2014.
Earnings of Optometrists: Median annual earnings of salaried optometrists were $88,410 in 2004.
A Day in an Optometrist's Life: On a typical day an optometrist will:
- examine people’s eyes to diagnose vision problems and eye diseases;
- test patients’ visual acuity, depth and color perception, and ability to focus and coordinate the eyes;
- prescribe eyeglasses and contact lenses;
- provide vision therapy and low-vision rehabilitation;
- analyze test results and develop a treatment plan;
- administer drugs to patients to aid in the diagnosis of vision problems and prescribe drugs to treat some eye diseases;
- provide preoperative and postoperative care to cataract patients, as well as patients who have had laser vision correction or other eye surgery;
- diagnose conditions due to systemic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure and refer patients to other health practitioners as needed;
*This is the most recent year for which this information is available.
Information courtesy of Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2006-07 Edition, Optometrists, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos073.htm (visited May 4, 2006).
