How to Work in Health Care: Your Complete Guide to Building a Rewarding Career
31 Aug, 2023
If you've ever considered a career in optometry, you're looking at one of the most stable, personally fulfilling, and financially rewarding paths in all of healthcare. I've spent years helping healthcare professionals find their ideal roles through healthcareers.app, and optometry consistently ranks among the careers that offer the best balance of patient impact, work-life balance, and professional autonomy. Whether you're a pre-health student weighing your options, a career changer exploring new possibilities, or simply curious about what it takes to become a Doctor of Optometry (OD), this guide will walk you through everything you need to know.
But I'm not going to stop at optometry alone. One of the things I love about healthcare is how interconnected its specialties are. Throughout this guide, I'll also touch on related paths — including doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs) and the fascinating role of the cardiovascular perfusionist — to give you a broader picture of the healthcare career landscape. Understanding these connections can help you make a more informed decision about where you truly belong.
Optometry is a primary healthcare profession focused on the examination, diagnosis, treatment, and management of diseases and disorders of the visual system, the eye, and associated structures. Optometrists — officially known as Doctors of Optometry (ODs) — are not the same as ophthalmologists (who are medical doctors specializing in eye surgery) or opticians (who fit and dispense eyeglasses and contact lenses). Optometrists occupy a critical middle ground, providing comprehensive eye care that ranges from vision testing and correction to the detection of eye abnormalities and the management of chronic conditions like glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov), employment of optometrists is projected to grow 9 percent from 2022 to 2032, which is faster than the average for all occupations. This growth is driven by an aging population that increasingly requires vision care, as well as growing awareness of the importance of regular eye exams for children and adults alike.
I've spoken with hundreds of optometrists over the years, and their daily routines typically include:
The beauty of optometry is its variety. Some optometrists work in private practice, others in retail settings, hospitals, community health centers, or academic institutions. Many specialize in areas like pediatric optometry, sports vision, low vision rehabilitation, or ocular disease management.
Becoming an optometrist requires a significant educational commitment, but the payoff is substantial. Here's the step-by-step path:
While there's no single required undergraduate major, most aspiring optometrists study biology, chemistry, physics, or a related science. You'll need to complete prerequisite coursework that typically includes general biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, biochemistry, microbiology, anatomy, physiology, statistics, and English. Many successful applicants also gain clinical experience by shadowing optometrists or working as optometric technicians — something I always recommend to candidates on our platform.
The OAT is a standardized exam administered by the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO). It evaluates your knowledge in natural sciences, reading comprehension, physics, and quantitative reasoning. A competitive score is essential for gaining admission to accredited optometry programs.
OD programs are four years long and combine rigorous classroom instruction with extensive clinical training. According to the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry, there are currently 23 accredited optometry programs in the United States. Coursework covers ocular anatomy, pharmacology, optics, vision science, systemic disease, and clinical methods. The final two years emphasize hands-on patient care through clinical rotations.
All states require optometrists to be licensed. This typically involves passing the National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO) examinations, which include a series of tests covering applied basic science, patient assessment and management, and clinical skills. Some states have additional requirements.
While not required, completing a one-year residency can significantly enhance your clinical expertise and career prospects. Residency programs are available in specialties such as pediatric optometry, cornea and contact lenses, ocular disease, vision therapy, and community health. I've noticed that candidates with residency training tend to have an edge in competitive job markets, and we see this reflected in the listings on healthcareers.app.
Let's talk numbers, because I know that's what many of you are here for. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for optometrists was approximately $125,590 as of May 2023. The highest 10 percent earned more than $191,430, while the lowest 10 percent earned less than $66,590. Your earning potential depends heavily on factors like geographic location, practice setting, specialization, and years of experience.
Here's a breakdown of typical salary ranges by practice setting:
The job outlook is strong. With about 2,000 new job openings projected each year through 2032 due to growth and replacement needs, optometry offers excellent long-term career security. The increasing prevalence of diabetes and other chronic conditions that affect vision, combined with expanded scope-of-practice legislation in many states, continues to broaden the role optometrists play in the healthcare system.
One question I get frequently from career seekers on our platform is how optometry stacks up against other healthcare paths. Let me address two specific comparisons that come up often.
If you're weighing optometry against becoming one of the doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs), it's important to understand the fundamental differences. DOs are fully licensed physicians who practice in all medical specialties, from family medicine to surgery. They complete four years of osteopathic medical school followed by residency training, and they can prescribe medications, perform surgeries, and manage the full spectrum of human health conditions. What distinguishes DOs from MDs is their additional training in osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) and their holistic, whole-body approach to patient care.
Optometrists, by contrast, are specialized eye care providers. While both careers require doctoral-level education and offer excellent earning potential, they serve very different patient populations and clinical needs. If your passion is specifically eye health and vision, optometry is the more focused and efficient path. If you're drawn to broader medical practice with the flexibility to choose from dozens of specialties, the DO pathway may be a better fit. According to the American Osteopathic Association, there are more than 121,000 practicing DOs in the United States, and that number is growing rapidly.
Another career that candidates occasionally compare to optometry — particularly those who are drawn to technology-driven healthcare roles — is the cardiovascular perfusionist. So, what does a cardiovascular perfusionist do? These highly specialized professionals operate the heart-lung machine (also called a cardiopulmonary bypass machine) during open-heart surgery. They maintain the patient's blood circulation and oxygen levels while the surgeon operates on a still heart. It's an incredibly high-stakes, high-precision role that requires exceptional focus and technical skill.
Cardiovascular perfusionists typically earn between $90,000 and $150,000 annually, and the career requires a bachelor's degree followed by a specialized perfusion education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). While it's a very different career from optometry, I mention it because it represents the kind of specialized, well-compensated healthcare role that many of our users at healthcareers.app are exploring. If you're someone who thrives in surgical environments with life-and-death responsibility, perfusion could be your calling. If you prefer a more patient-relationship-oriented, clinic-based practice, optometry is likely the better match.
After years of helping healthcare professionals navigate the job market, here are my top recommendations for new optometrists entering the workforce:
The typical path takes about eight years after high school: four years of undergraduate education followed by four years in an accredited Doctor of Optometry (OD) program. If you choose to complete an optional residency, add one additional year. While this is a significant time investment, the career stability, earning potential, and personal fulfillment make it worthwhile for most graduates I've spoken with.
Absolutely. With a faster-than-average job growth rate of 9 percent projected through 2032 (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics), a median salary well above the national average, and expanding scope of practice in many states, optometry remains one of the strongest career choices in healthcare. The aging Baby Boomer population and increasing rates of chronic diseases like diabetes ensure sustained demand for eye care services.
This varies by state. Traditionally, optometrists do not perform surgery — that's the domain of ophthalmologists. However, a growing number of states have expanded scope-of-practice laws to allow optometrists to perform certain minor surgical procedures, such as laser treatments and lid lesion removals. This trend is expected to continue, further enhancing the optometric scope of practice.
Optometrists (ODs) are primary eye care providers who examine eyes, prescribe corrective lenses, diagnose conditions, and manage many eye diseases. Ophthalmologists are medical doctors (MDs or DOs) who complete medical school plus an ophthalmology residency and can perform eye surgery in addition to everything optometrists do. Both work collaboratively to provide comprehensive eye care to patients. Many optometrists co-manage surgical patients with ophthalmologists.
This is one of optometry's greatest strengths. Most optometrists work regular weekday hours with occasional Saturday shifts, typically logging 40–45 hours per week. Compared to physicians — including doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs) — who often work 50–60+ hours weekly and take overnight call, optometry generally offers a more predictable and family-friendly schedule. Emergency calls and after-hours work are uncommon in most optometric practices.
Choosing a healthcare career is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make, and optometry deserves serious consideration. It combines meaningful patient relationships, clinical autonomy, strong financial rewards, and a quality of life that many other healthcare professions simply can't match. Whether you're comparing it to becoming one of the doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs), wondering what a cardiovascular perfusionist does, or evaluating dozens of other healthcare paths, optometry stands out as a career that delivers on its promises.
At healthcareers.app, we're committed to helping you find not just any job, but the right job — one that aligns with your skills, values, and vision for the future. I encourage you to explore the optometry listings on our platform, connect with employers who value what you bring to the table, and take the next step toward the career you deserve. The world needs more dedicated eye care professionals, and your journey in optometry could start today.
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