When it comes to choosing a medical specialty, there are many factors to consider, including clinical interests, the price-tag of an education in health care, duration of the training, and of course, viable opportunities for employment. For those considering a career in optometry, new research now helps those individuals thoroughly evaluate their options and make a well-informed decision about entering the eyecare field.

Nearly 325 optometrists participated in the “Career Considerations in Optometry” survey conducted by Jobson Research in conjunction with Latinos en Optometry, a non-profit organization that aims to increase the number of Latino ODs and students in optometry schools, and Transitions Optical Limited, a manufacturer of photochromic lenses. Qualified participants, with anywhere from two to more than 20 years of experience, responded to questions about some critical factors that might help influence an individual’s decision to pursue a career in optometry.

In last weekend’s first part of this two-part series about the survey, VMAIL Weekend took a look at job satisfaction, different types of optometrists, patient relationships and diversity within the profession. This weekend we will reveal survey findings about stress on the job, collaborative efforts with other health care providers, creativity and technology, work-life balance, job security, income satisfaction and the future of optometry.

On the Job



Stress/Pressure at work can be caused by many factors, including long hours, heavy workloads and poor relationships with colleagues. Overall, about three in ten respondents (29 percent) say they feel high stress/pressure in their work, while about one in five (17 percent) say there is minimal stress/pressure in their work. Women (33 percent) are more likely than men (25 percent) to report feeling high stress/pressure.

Collaborative efforts between optometrists and other health care professionals ensures comprehensive and specialized patient care through shared responsibilities and complementary expertise. Four in ten (43 percent) respondents say optometry provides a great deal of opportunity for collaboration with other optometrists or other medical specialists.



More than half of respondents (56 percent) say their work provides them with a great deal of flexibility in controlling their schedule and the amount of time they take off from work. When it comes to scheduling and time off, men are significantly more likely than women (62 percent vs. 51 percent) to report having a great deal of flexibility. About half (52 percent) of optometrists surveyed are highly satisfied with their current work-life balance. Men are more satisfied than women (56 percent vs. 50 percent).


Creativity, Innovation and Technology

Creativity can be a valuable skill for optometrists in a variety of ways, such as clinical reasoning to make diagnoses and suggest treatments, and problem solving to come up with original solutions to care for patients. Technology has been transforming optometry in many ways, including diagnostic equipment, telemedicine and artificial intelligence (AI).

About one-third of respondents (34 percent) say optometry provides a great deal of opportunity for creativity and innovation compared to 11 percent who say it provides little opportunity.

Nearly half of all respondents (48 percent) say advances in new technology in optometry are frequently changing, allowing them to change the way they diagnose, manage and treat eye-related problems.


Personal Growth, Security and Income



Optometry is a growing field, with the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projecting a 9 percent employment growth between 2022 and 2032, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. This growth is expected to create around 1,700 openings for optometrists each year.

Most respondents (69 percent) agree that they have a great deal of security in their position (i.e., know where they stand; certain of their future professionally; confident of their position and income and need for services in the future). Men (72 percent) are slightly more likely than women (68 percent) to agree with this statement.



Four in ten respondents (43 percent) say they are highly satisfied with the compensation they receive as an optometrist while one in ten (9 percent) say they are highly dissatisfied. Men (53 percent) are significantly more likely to report being highly satisfied with their compensation than women (35 percent).


The Future of Optometry

The field of optometry is experiencing a growing emphasis on specialization to meet the changing needs of patients. Specialization allows practitioners to address specific patient needs and provide more targeted care. Optometrists are also experiencing diversification in optometry roles, expanding beyond traditional practice settings with opportunities in various sectors, including corporate, academia, research and public health.



About one in five (20 percent) respondents say the need for optometrists and optometry subspecialists will increase significantly in the future, while about half (46 percent) believe it will increase slightly and one in five (22 percent) think it will remain about the same.


Survey Methodology

 
 
This study was conducted by Jobson Optical Research and was fielded in July-August 2024. Eyecare professionals were contacted via email and invited to click on a link to complete a survey. An incentive of a chance to win an Amazon.com Gift Card was offered to entice participants. Respondents rated each category on a 10-point scale. Their responses were grouped together into 3 boxes. Ratings of 1-3 in the bottom box, ratings of 4-7 in the middle box and ratings of 8-10 in the top box. A total of 323 qualified respondents completed the survey.

Survey respondents were all practicing optometrists. Just over half (56 percent) respondents identified as female and 43 percent as male. Just over half (56 percent) say they are currently practicing in a single location practice, with the remaining respondents reporting working in practices with 2-3 locations (21 percent), small/regional chain with 4 to 20 locations (4 percent), large/national chain with 20+ locations (12 percent) and 6 percent in a hospital/clinic. About 4 in 10 (44 percent) of respondents have been in practice for more than 20 years, 31 percent for 11-20 years, 10 percent for 6-10 years and 7 percent for 2-5 years.

To view a free copy of the Career Considerations in Optometry executive summary click here.

   
 

Read More About It

To learn more about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in the optical industry, read our October feature, Optical Industry Sees Gains in Diversity, But More Work Is Still Needed. Look for our November-December cover story about Human Capital: The Optical Workforce Now, coming your way later this month.