Optometrist Salary Range

In our economy, the medical jobs are the ones which are never affected by overall economic conditions. The field of eye care, especially will always require trained and experienced personnel and the salaries in this field will continue to rise steadily as per the opinion of job market experts. Optometrist salaries can be anything between USD 45,000 to USD 140,000 depending on experience and expertise.

The job of an optometrist involves helping the patients enhance and improve their vision by correct diagnosis, treatment and eye care. Optometrists, who receive the 'Doctor of Optometry' degree after the successful completion of their medical program, also work in the areas of pediatric optometry, basic or primary optometry care and geriatric optometry. Those who wish to become optometrists should concentrate on subjects like Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, English and computers in their high school. After completing a bachelor's degree in the medicine field, you can get admission to a university to study optometry after getting a good score in the Optometry Admission Test (OAT). The licenses for optometrists are given after clearing the board exams conducted by the states.

Job Description
As said above, optometrists play a vital role in improving the vision of people who suffer from ocular diseases and eye problems. They are known to take all necessary care of the patients who are about to undergo eye surgery or have already had an eye surgery. The job profile also involves prescribing contact lenses and glasses, along with medicines for combating infections, diseases and allergies related to the eye. The advanced instruments used by the optometrists for checking the minute details of the eye are ophthalmoscopes and retinoscopes. Many optometrists are employed in hospitals and clinics and the number of optometrists practicing as independent medical professionals is also significant.

Salary Range
The US Government Bureau of Labor Statistics does the task of calculating the salary of the optometrists. The data about the salaries of optometrists is calculated by considering the average working hours of the optometrists. The location of service or practice is a decisive factor in the determination of the salary.

The salary range is very wide because it largely depends on the skills and the years of quality experience gained by the optometrist. As per the details of a survey, the median annual salary of optometrists is around USD 90,000. There are ten percent of the total optometrists who earn more than USD 150,000 annually. The salary of the bottom ten percent optometrists was pegged at USD 45,000 while a majority of the optometrists (around fifty percent) earned anything in between USD 60,000 to USD 100,000 annually.

If we compare the income of the optometrists who work as salaried professionals in hospitals and clinics, with those who set up their own practice, we arrive at the conclusion that the salaried professionals earn more in the initial years. However, independent practitioners are known to earn much more than the salaried optometrists once their practice is well established. The time of establishing the practice naturally depends on the knowledge and the skills of the optometrist. The average annual salary of an optometrist in the United States of America is about USD 100,000.

Apart from the basic salaries, optometrists receive attractive bonuses as per their experience and expertise. The income of around eighty percent of the optometrists crosses the USD 85,000 per year mark when the bonus amount is included. The optometrists are also entitled to the social security benefits, disability benefits and pensions which increase their salary considerably. Now, considering the salaries with experience, those with up to four years experience are known to earn around USD 75,000 annually while those having an experience between ten to twenty years can earn between USD 75,000 to USD 140,000 annually. On comparing the salaries of the optometrists in the various states, we understand that optometrists in Florida earn around USD 100,000, those in New York around USD 130,000 and those in California earn around USD 110000 annually. Optometrists employed in Illinois can expect to make around USD 90,000 per year.

Salaries are definitely lucrative for the optometrists. However, a career decision is taken not just by looking at salary and current situation, but also by considering the future outlook for the job. Analysts expect employment to grow between 10-20% for optometrists in the years to come. This is indeed very positive for people interested in this career.

Another positive about this profession is that it has ample opportunities for both men and women. So, work hard to make the most of the great opportunities in this field and secure your future.