Optometrist Career

optometrist-500Optometrists receive a Doctor of Optometry to engage in the practice of optometry. They examine people’s eyes and related visual components in the body. This involves conducting regular vision checks as well as diagnosing and treating injuries or illnesses.

Optometrists work almost exclusively in optometry or related health offices. Many optometrists are self-employed. Choosing to be an optometrist is a long-term career choice as the average optician has 22 years of experience.

Optometrist Career Snapshot

Many optometrists are self-employed or work in a small practice. These optometrists are able to set their own areas. Many of them will work evenings or weekends to accommodate the patients they see. Half of optometrists will work in optometry offices not connected to another medical practice.

Further details on a career as an optometrist are listed below (statistics from the May 2015 Bureau of Labor Statistics and Onet Online):

$103,900

is the average yearly salary for optometrists.

27%

increase in employment between 2014 and 2024.

91%

have a Doctoral degree while 9% have a Professional degree.

Optometrist Education

Optometrists much have their doctoral degree and obtain a license to practice in a certain state. To enter optometry school, a student must have coursework in the sciences and pass an optometry admission test. Optometrists who want to specialize spend an additional year in residency.

Optometrist Job Duties

Optometrists perform many eye-related duties. These include vision tests and diagnosing vision problems based on the results of those tests. Optometrists can work closely with ophthalmologists in surgery by providing pre and post operative patient care. An important responsibility for optometrists is to use eye health to identify possible conditions such as diabetes.

Optometrist Salaries

The median salary for optometrists was $103,900 dollars with a range for the majority of earners between $51,780 and $187,200 in May 2015 according to the BLS.gov. These professionals have a potential to earn bonuses and commission, as well as profit sharing.

Optometrist Job Outlook

There is an extremely positive job growth projected for optometrists. The field is supposed to grow 27 percent through 2024. This is mostly due to three factors. The first is that vision problems are associated with advanced age and the population is aging. The second is that chronic conditions can cause eye problems. The third is that more people have access to health care insurance.

Optometrist Skills & Abilities

Optometrist Skill Set:Required Abilities:Tools Used by Optometrists:Typical Work Activities:
• Active Listening
• Critical Thinking
• Speaking
• Science
• Reading Comprehension
• Near Vision
• Deductive Reasoning
• Inductive Reasoning
• Oral Comprehension
• Oral Expression
• Eye charts or vision cards
• Eye occluders
• Ophthalmic eye test lenses
• Ophthalmic lens holders
• Opticians tools
• Getting Information
• Recording information
• Decision making
• Caring for others
• Identifying information

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