Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners

How to become an Optometrist

Official title: Optometrists

Also called: Optometrist, Optometry Doctor (OD), Therapeutic Optometrist

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.

Main tasks

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.
Provide patients undergoing eye surgeries, such as cataract and laser vision correction, with pre- and post-operative care.
Consult with and refer patients to ophthalmologist or other health care practitioner if additional medical treatment is determined necessary.

How to become one

Optometrists typically need a Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree, which take 4 years of graduate-level study to complete. Every state requires optometrists to be licensed.

Typical education to start: Doctoral or professional degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

College: Allied Health degrees, Offered by 15 universities in the US
Licence: A licence is required in 49 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $136,570 a year The middle half earn $109,400 to $165,120.
About 45,100 people work in this job now, and about 49,400 are projected by 2035. (+9.5%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How do I become an Optometrist?

Optometrists typically need a Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree, which take 4 years of graduate-level study to complete. Every state requires optometrists to be licensed.

How much does an Optometrist earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $136,570 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $109,400 to $165,120.

Is an Optometrist a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 10% by 2035, from about 45,100 to about 49,400 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become an Optometrist?

Usually. 100% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of an Optometrist?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.