Guides / Optometry careers
Optometry Careers and Practice Paths
What an O.D. can do after graduating, where optometrists work, and what to ask the doctors you shadow about the road from school to a first job.
Last checked Nov 2, 2026. Figures are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Where Optometrists Work
Most work in an optometry office, and the rest are spread across medical offices, retail and clinics. Pay differs by setting.
| Setting | Share of jobs | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Offices of optometrists | 61% | $129,250 |
| Offices of physicians | 14% | $145,630 |
| Retail trade | 13% | $159,250 |
| Self-employed | 5% | Not listed |
| Outpatient care centers | 4% | $207,030 |
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Optometrists, May 2025 wages and 2025 employment. Pay is a median for wage and salary workers in that setting; read it as a snapshot, not a promise.
The Main Paths
- Private practice. An independent office, as an associate or an owner. The largest share of jobs is in offices of optometrists (61%).
- Medical settings. Offices of physicians employ about 14% of optometrists, and outpatient care centers about 4%. Expect a mix of eye exams and care for eye disease alongside other clinicians.
- Retail. About 13% work in retail trade, such as an eye clinic inside an optical retailer. Ask how the hours, the patient schedule and the path to ownership compare.
- Self-employed. About 5% are self-employed in the BLS count. Many owners are counted inside the practice settings above.
- Government, military, tribal and academic work. These appear in other parts of the data, and the roles differ widely. A school's faculty and the doctors you shadow can tell you what they involve. Service scholarships are covered in How to Pay Less.
After the Degree
- Licensing. Every state requires a license. You need an O.D. from an accredited school and a passing result on the national exam, and some states add an exam on clinical skills or law. Licenses need continuing education and renewal. Board pass rates by school.
- Optional advanced training. After the degree you may complete one more year of advanced clinical training in a specialty. It's not required to practice.
- Board certification. Optional, and requires passing an exam.
- Scope of practice. What optometrists may do differs by state. If you know where you want to live, ask that state's board or the doctors you shadow there.
Outlook
BLS projects 10% growth in optometrist jobs from 2025–35, which it describes as much faster than average. That's about 2,000 openings a year, many of them from people leaving the job. Projections are estimates and can miss.
Questions to Ask the Doctors You Shadow
- How did you pick your first job, and what would you do differently?
- What does a typical day look like, and how many patients do you see?
- How did you decide between buying a practice and working for someone?
- What did you learn after school that school didn't cover?
- Is the advanced clinical training year worth it for the work you do?
- What do you wish you had known about debt before you started?
Next, weigh cost against pay and log what you see in the hours tracker.
Sources
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