Optometrists

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.

Most important skills

Reading Comprehension
Active Listening
Critical Thinking
Writing
Speaking
Social Perceptiveness
Science
Coordination

Key knowledge

Medicine and Dentistry
Biology
Customer and Personal Service
English Language
Mathematics
Education and Training
Therapy and Counseling
Psychology

What the work involves

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

Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Investigative, Social, Realistic.

Qualifications and licensing

Most common education: Doctoral Degree (95.2% of respondents)
Related experience: None (52.4%)
On-the-job training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month (52.4%)
Preparation level: O*NET job zone 5: Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Licensing: Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.

Check before planning

Licensing for Optometrists is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.

Limits

Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0

Work environment

How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).

Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.

Rankings compare typical U.S. occupation-level work conditions; individual jobs and employers vary. Data: O*NET 31.0 Work Context and BLS wages (May 2025).
Condition	Level	Compared with other occupations	Most common answer (O*NET survey)
Contact with others	Very high	Higher on contact with others than 82% of occupations compared	86% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others”
Dealing with the public	Very high	Higher on dealing with the public than 88% of occupations compared	67% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important”
Teamwork	Moderate	Higher on teamwork than 52% of occupations compared	47% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important”
Freedom to make decisions	Very high	Higher on freedom to make decisions than 92% of occupations compared	81% of surveyed respondents chose “A lot of freedom”
Time pressure	High	Higher on time pressure than 65% of occupations compared	43% of surveyed respondents chose “Every day”
Conflict situations	Very high	Higher on conflict situations than 83% of occupations compared	52% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day”
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people	Very high	Higher on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 80% of occupations compared	45% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day”
Consequence of error	High	Higher on consequence of error than 60% of occupations compared	25% of surveyed respondents chose “Serious”

Work-pressure profile

Time pressure: high
Conflict situations: very high
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very high
Consequence of error: high

Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.

Full answer distributions