Hot Job: Optometrists

May 31, 2011

Hot Job: Optometrists

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Seattle optometrist Helen Kim administers drops to a patient in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, as part of a trip with Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity Northwest. (Gene Frogge)

The job: Optometrists examine people’s eyes to diagnose vision problems. They prescribe eyeglasses or contact lenses, perform vision therapy, treat glaucoma and monitor macular degeneration. Most optometrists are in private practices.

A Seattleite at work: Dr. Helen Kim of Broadway Vision Source says that she likes that she can give people immediate gratification by improving vision through glasses and contacts. “My favorite part of my profession is when I go overseas to provide vision care in developing countries,” says Kim, who teams up with the local Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity group on these trips to bring thousands of locally donated glasses to communities such as Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Outlook: Employment of optometrists is projected to grow 24 percent between 2008 and 2018, much faster than the average for all occupations.

Pay: The 200 optometrists in the Seattle-Bellevue-Tacoma area earned a median wage of $110,810 in 2009.

Training: Optometrists need a Doctor of Optometry degree, which requires the completion of a 4-year program at an accredited school of optometry. They must also pass exams and be licensed by the state.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, stats.bls.gov/oco; NWjobs staff

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