Orthoptists Career, Salary and Skills
Orthoptists have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $115,210 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 28,630. Wage data is published for 124 locations.
Occupation description
Diagnose and treat visual system disorders such as binocular vision and eye movement impairments.
O*NET code
29-1299.02
Job zone
5
Typical education
Not recorded
Experience
None
National salary and employment
Median annual
$115,210
Hourly median
$55.39
Employment
28,630
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
$65,210
10th
$83,780
25th
$115,210
Median
$161,470
75th
$195,190
90th
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.88 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.88 | 4.12 |
| Speaking | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Writing | 3.75 | 4.12 |
| Science | 3.50 | 3.62 |
| Active Learning | 3.38 | 3.88 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.38 | 4.00 |
| Service Orientation | 3.25 | 3.88 |
Typical tasks
- Provide nonsurgical interventions, including corrective lenses, patches, drops, fusion exercises, or stereograms, to treat conditions such as strabismus, heterophoria, and convergence insufficiency.
- Evaluate, diagnose, or treat disorders of the visual system with an emphasis on binocular vision or abnormal eye movements.
- Examine patients with problems related to ocular motility, binocular vision, amblyopia, or strabismus.
- Perform diagnostic tests or measurements, such as motor testing, visual acuity testing, lensometry, retinoscopy, and color vision testing.
- Develop nonsurgical treatment plans for patients with conditions such as strabismus, nystagmus, and other visual disorders.
- Provide instructions to patients or family members concerning diagnoses or treatment plans.
- Interpret clinical or diagnostic test results.
- Refer patients to ophthalmic surgeons or other physicians.
Technology
- Computer Aided Vision Therapy CAVT
- Computer perceptual processing software
- Email software
- Eye Tracking Exercises Enterprises Track with Letters
- HTS Vision CVS2
- HTS Vision HTS2 Computerized Binocular Home Eye Exercise System
- MAX Systems Max-Gold Medical Clinic Software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
- SeeRite Flash and Match
- Therapeutic orthoptic software
Orthoptists salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Orthoptists Salary in Washington, DCMedian $166,230 · Employment 5,970
- Orthoptists Salary in MDMedian $164,670 · Employment 5,840
- Orthoptists Salary in GAMedian $126,300 · Employment 3,130
- Orthoptists Salary in Atlanta, GAMedian $133,060 · Employment 2,530
- Orthoptists Salary in CAMedian $125,550 · Employment 1,600
- Orthoptists Salary in TXMedian $105,370 · Employment 1,250
- Orthoptists Salary in ILMedian $95,080 · Employment 1,110
- Orthoptists Salary in Chicago, ILMedian $95,080 · Employment 990
- Orthoptists Salary in OHMedian $101,710 · Employment 880
- Orthoptists Salary in PAMedian $103,150 · Employment 870
- Orthoptists Salary in FLMedian $99,260 · Employment 850
- Orthoptists Salary in NCMedian $117,210 · Employment 800
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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.