Optometrist Job Description:
Optometrists provide primary vision care. They are also called Doctors of Optometry or ODs.
Employment Facts for Optometrists:
Optometrists held about 33,000 jobs in 2006. 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. In addition to completion of the Doctor of Optometry degree, one must pass both the written National Board examination and a National, regional, or State clinical examination. Applicants in many states must also pass an examination on relevant state laws.
Job Outlook for Optometrists:
Employment of optometrists is expected to grow as fast as the average for all occupations through 2016.
How Much Do Optometrists Earn?:
Median annual earnings of salaried optometrists were $91,040 in 2006.
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;
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, Optometrists, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos073.htm (visited July 14, 2008).
