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Optometrist - Demographic Profile
Optometrists are primary health care specialists trained to perform vision tests, diagnose eye diseases, prescribe glasses and other visual aids, perform minor surgical procedures, provide vision-related treatments, and promote eye health. They are able to work with precision and have the ability to put a nervous patient at ease. Below are the rest of our findings on the demographic profile of optometrists.
DIVERSITY
- Gender composition: 51.6% of optometrists in the US are male, and 48.4% are female.
- Age by gender: The average age of male optometrists is 50.6 and of female optometrists is 40.6.
- Race and ethnicity: 80.6% of optometrists are white, making it the most common ethnicity in the occupation, and Asians come second, representing 17.7%.
SKILLS AND QUALITIES
- Optometrists are able to work with precision, concentrate while doing repetitive tasks, and are well organized.
- With the ever-changing technology, they are also expected to be able to adapt to new equipment and techniques.
- They must also have excellent communication skills and the ability to put nervous patients at ease.
- They must have an interest in health and a desire to improve people's quality of life.
INCOME LEVEL
- Optometrists earn an average of $110,359 per year, which is higher than what some financial specialists make in general. Males earn a higher average salary than females, which is $127,659, and females earn an average salary of $91,952.
- Most optometrists are employed by the offices of optometrists industry both by share and by number, but the highest-paid industry for optometrists is offices of physicians.
EDUCATION
- In order to become an optometrist, applicants need a Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree. Applicants to O.D. programs must have completed at least three years of post-secondary education, which includes courses in biology, chemistry, physics, etc. Most students have a bachelor's degree with a premedical or biological science's emphasis before enrolling in an O.D. program.
- Applicants to O.D. programs must also take a test known as Optometry Admission Test (OAT), which is a computerized exam that tests applicants in subject areas such as science, reading comprehension, physics, and quantitative reasoning.
- O.D. programs take four years to complete. After finishing an O.D. degree, some optometrists complete a one-year residency program to get advanced clinical training in the area in which they wish to specialize.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF AN OPTOMETRIST
- The responsibilities of an optometrist include performing vision tests and analyzing results; diagnosing eye diseases, such as glaucoma and sight problems (like nearsightedness or farsightedness); prescribing eyeglasses, contact lenses, and other visual aids; performing minor surgical procedures to correct or treat visual issues; providing treatments such as vision therapy or low-vision rehabilitation; and promoting eye health and general health by counseling patients.
- Optometrists work at an average of 40 hours a week, and they spend an average of 30 minutes with a patient.
EMPLOYMENT
- The number of people employed as optometrists has been growing at a rate of 10.5%, from 31,930 to 35,276 people.
- Offices of optometrists employ the largest share of optometrists at 76.5%, followed by health & personal care with 6.9%, and hospitals with 5.66%.
- One of the great aspects of optometry is that an optometrist, assuming his or her health holds out, can continue to practice well beyond the normal retirement age of 65.
EXTENDED TEAM
- An optometrist's extended team includes office and lab managers, opticians, optometric technicians, lab technicians, and optometric assistants.
CHALLENGES FACED BY OPTOMETRISTS
- Factors like population, practice location, budget, and competition may restrict an optometrist's ability to grow.
- Optometrists have to stay current with regulations.
- They also have to deal with staffing issues. Making sure that their staff is composed of the right people is important because they represent the practice.
- Implementing new technology can bring convenient solutions; however, optometrists may have difficulty adopting new technology or training their staff to use new technology.
FUTURE OUTLOOK
- Optometrists are expected to see job growth of 17.9%, and this occupation is expected to grow higher than the national average because vision problems tend to occur more frequently later in life. Thus, an aging population will lead to demand for more optometrists.