Orthoptists — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$115,210
United States, 2025
Employment
28,630
United States, 2025
Typical education
Not recorded
Job Zone 5
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Diagnose and treat visual system disorders such as binocular vision and eye movement impairments.
- O*NET code
- 29-1299.02
- Job zone
- 5
- Experience required
- None
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.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$65,210
25th percentile
$83,780
75th percentile
$161,470
90th percentile
$195,190
Most important skills
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Speaking3.9
- Social Perceptiveness3.8
- Writing3.8
- Science3.5
- Active Learning3.4
- Complex Problem Solving3.4
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
- Service Orientation3.3
- Instructing3.1
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 18 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
18
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 | 4.9 | Not selected | 4.9 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Speaking | 3.9 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Writing | 3.8 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.8 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.4 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.4 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Science | 3.5 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Service Orientation | 3.3 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Instructing | 3.1 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.1 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
How salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno, CA | $209,100 | 70 | 2025 |
| Washington, DC | $166,230 | 5,970 | 2025 |
| MD | $164,670 | 5,840 | 2025 |
| Hartford, CT | $154,540 | 150 | 2025 |
| DC | $151,990 | 490 | 2025 |
| Raleigh, NC | $147,370 | 110 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $140,730 | 650 | 2025 |
| Salem, OR | $140,670 | 30 | 2025 |
| San Jose, CA | $139,570 | 190 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $136,640 | 320 | 2025 |
| Atlanta, GA | $133,060 | 2,530 | 2025 |
| Baltimore, MD | $128,610 | 540 | 2025 |
| NY | $127,360 | 750 | 2025 |
| GA | $126,300 | 3,130 | 2025 |
| CA | $125,550 | 1,600 | 2025 |
| Fort Collins, CO | $125,320 | 50 | 2025 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $124,750 | 60 | 2025 |
| Durham, NC | $123,280 | 290 | 2025 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $122,930 | 230 | 2025 |
| MT | $122,930 | 110 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Orthoptists to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.