29-1041.00 - Optometrists

Updated 2010

Summary Report for:
29-1041.00 - 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.

Sample of reported job titles: Optometrist, Doctor of Optometry (OD), Doctor

View report: Summary Details Custom

Tasks

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.
Prescribe medications to treat eye diseases if state laws permit.
Prescribe, supply, fit and adjust eyeglasses, contact lenses and other vision aids.
Analyze test results and develop a treatment plan.
Educate and counsel patients on contact lens care, visual hygiene, lighting arrangements and safety factors.
Remove foreign bodies from the eye.
Consult with and refer patients to ophthalmologist or other health care practitioner if additional medical treatment is determined necessary.
Provide patients undergoing eye surgeries, such as cataract and laser vision correction, with pre- and post-operative care.
Prescribe therapeutic procedures to correct or conserve vision.
Provide vision therapy and low vision rehabilitation.

Tools & Technology

Tools used in this occupation:

Eye charts or vision cards — Amsler grids; Pupil diameter PD rules; Single Lea symbol books; Snellen eye charts

Eye occluders — Combined cover paddle occluders; Multiple pin hole occluders; Multiple pinhole mask occluders

Ophthalmic eye test lenses or accessories — Clear 20 diopter condensing lenses; Clear 78 diopter condensing lenses; Trial lens sets; Yellow condensing lenses

Ophthalmic lens holders — 4-well lens holders; 8-well lens flippers; Halberg clips

Opticians tools or accessories — Half nylon gripping pliers; Lens calipers; Optical screwdrivers; Snipe nose pliers

Technology used in this occupation:

Accounting software — Intuit QuickBooks software

Calendar and scheduling software — Scheduling software

Data base user interface and query software — Microsoft Access; Microsoft SQL Server

Medical software — First Insight MaximEyes; HealthLine Systems Eyecom; Universal Software Solutions VersaVision; VisionScience Software Acuity Pro

Word processing software — Microsoft Word

Knowledge

Medicine and Dentistry — Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Biology — Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Psychology — Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Sales and Marketing — Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

Physics — Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.

Personnel and Human Resources — Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

Skills

Science — Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Service Orientation — Actively looking for ways to help people.

Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Abilities

Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Flexibility of Closure — The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.

Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

Selective Attention — The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.

Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Work Activities

Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.

Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Assisting and Caring for Others — Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.

Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Work Context

Face-to-Face Discussions — How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?

Contact With Others — How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?

Telephone — How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?

Physical Proximity — To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people?

Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?

Frequency of Decision Making — How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?

Structured versus Unstructured Work — To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?

Deal With External Customers — How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?

Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?

Letters and Memos — How often does the job require written letters and memos?

Job Zone

Title	Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Education	Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Related Experience	Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Job Training	Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Job Zone Examples	These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include librarians, lawyers, aerospace engineers, wildlife biologists, school psychologists, surgeons, treasurers, and controllers.
SVP Range	(8.0 and above)

Education

Percentage of Respondents	Education Level Required
100	Doctoral or professional degree

Interests

Interest code: ISR

Investigative — Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Social — Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Realistic — Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Work Styles

Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.

Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Analytical Thinking — Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.

Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

Self Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

Leadership — Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.

Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.

Work Values

Working Conditions — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.

Achievement — Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Recognition — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.

Related Occupations

25-1071.00

Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary

Wages & Employment Trends

National

Median wages (2012)	$47.03 hourly, $97,820 annual
Employment (2010)	34,000 employees
Projected growth (2010-2020)	Much faster than average (29% or higher)
Projected job openings (2010-2020)	23,400
Top industries (2010)	Health Care and Social Assistance Self-Employed

State & National

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2012 wage data and 2010-2020 employment projections . "Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2010-2020). "Projected job openings" represent openings due to growth and replacement.

Job Openings on the Web

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Sources of Additional Information

Disclaimer: Sources are listed to provide additional information on related jobs, specialties, and/or industries. Links to non-DOL Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement.

Optometrists . Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition.

Summary Report for: 29-1041.00 - Optometrists