Careers Options

1. Ophthalmic allied health careers including • ophthalmic medical • technologists and • ophthalmic medical technicians will be • one of our nation's fastest growing occupations. • ophthalmic medical technicians can be found working • in a variety of institutions including hospitals, inpatient and • outpatient facilities, private practices, health maintenance organizations, and other health care facilities. Careers Options

2. Optometrist Work in General • Optometrists, also known as doctors of optometry, or ODs, provide most primary vision care. They examine people’s eyes to diagnose vision problems and eye diseases, and they test patients’ visual acuity, depth and color perception, and ability to focus and coordinate the eyes.

3. Optometrist Job Outlook • Employment of optometrists is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations through 2014, in response to the vision care needs of a growing and aging population.

4. Optometrist Training • The Doctor of Optometry degree requires the completion of a 4-year program at an accredited optometry school, preceded by at least 3 years of preoptometric study at an accredited college or university.

5. Optometrist Earnings • Median annual earnings of salaried optometrists were $88,410 in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $63,840 and $118,320. Median annual earnings of salaried optometrists in May 2004 were $87,430 in offices of optometrists.