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Career

Orthoptists

Typical education: Master's degreeLower pressure

What they do

Diagnose and treat visual system disorders such as binocular vision and eye movement impairments.

Kinds of work

  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $115,210 Median per year · $55.39/hr Most earn $65,210–$195,190

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Examine patients with problems related to ocular motility, binocular vision, amblyopia, or strabismus.
  • Refer patients to ophthalmic surgeons or other physicians.
  • Interpret clinical or diagnostic test results.
  • Assist ophthalmologists in diagnostic ophthalmic procedures, such as ultrasonography, fundus photography, and tonometry.
  • Provide training related to clinical methods or orthoptics to students, resident physicians, or other health professionals.
  • Examine patients with problems related to ocular motility, binocular vision, amblyopia, or strabismus.

Job outlook

United States
6% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 1,900 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Federal government, excluding postal service50.8%
  • Self-employed (their own business)23.5%
  • Offices of physicians3.9%
  • Offices of all other health practitioners3.3%
  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools2.6%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Master's degreeExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Orthoptist is not an entry-level job. Most people earn a bachelor's degree, work in eye care for about 1 to 2 years, and then complete a master's degree before practicing, so plan on roughly 6 to 8 years or more from high school.

  1. Bachelor's degree in biology or another science

    4 years

    Build a strong science foundation and take the prerequisite courses that graduate orthoptics programs usually require, such as biology, anatomy, and physics.

  2. Ophthalmic Technician

    1-2 years

    Work alongside eye doctors on testing, patient care, and eye exams, which gives you hands-on experience with the eye care setting that most people have before this step.

  3. Master's degree in orthoptics

    2-3 years

    Complete a graduate program that trains you in diagnosing and treating eye movement and binocular vision problems, including supervised clinical work.

  4. Orthoptist

    Career

    Diagnose and treat conditions like strabismus and double vision, usually working with ophthalmologists in clinics or hospitals.

Where it can lead

  1. Senior Orthoptist

    Several years in clinical practice of experience first

    Take on more complex cases, train newer staff, and often help lead a clinic or testing program.

  2. Ophthalmologist

    4 to 6 years of prior experience of experience first

    Move into medicine by completing medical school and residency to become an eye surgeon and physician; this is a long, separate path that requires a doctoral degree.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take biology, chemistry, and physicsThese classes build the science base you will need for a college major and later graduate study in eye care.
  • Join the science or health clubClubs like science olympiad or health occupations groups help you explore medicine and teamwork in a low-pressure setting.
  • Volunteer at a hospital or clinicEven basic volunteer shifts show you patient care and give you a first look at how eye clinics run.
  • Get a starter job in a healthcare or customer service roleWorking with the public builds communication and reliability skills that matter in any patient-facing career.
  • Strengthen your math and reading skillsClear reading of medical research and comfort with data will help you in college and graduate programs.

In college

  • Major in biology, neuroscience, or vision scienceThese majors cover the anatomy, physiology, and research skills that orthoptics graduate programs look for.
  • Take anatomy, physiology, statistics, and psychologyAnatomy and physiology support your clinical knowledge, while statistics and psychology help with testing and working with patients.
  • Work as an ophthalmic assistant or medical assistantA campus or community job in a clinic gives you the hands-on experience that this career typically asks for before graduate school.
  • Get involved in pre-health student organizationsGroups focused on pre-health or healthcare careers help you network, learn about graduate programs, and find mentors.
  • Seek out research or shadowing opportunitiesWorking in a lab or shadowing an orthoptist or eye doctor strengthens your graduate school applications and confirms the career is right for you.

Tips for getting started

  • Shadow or volunteer in an eye clinic early on to see what orthoptists and eye doctors actually do day to day.
  • Keep your grades strong in science and math, since graduate programs look closely at your undergraduate science coursework.
  • Look for paid or volunteer work as an ophthalmic assistant or technician, because that experience builds the 1 to 2 years of hands-on background this path usually includes.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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