Examine and treat eye conditions, prescribe medication, and perform surgeries such as cataract and corrective procedures.
You may also see this posted as: Glaucoma Specialist, Physician, Retina Specialist, Clinical Ophthalmologist, Cornea Specialist, Oculoplastic Specialist.
Clinics, hospitals, and surgical centers
Full time, with some on-call surgery
Investigative
solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work
Social
helping, teaching, caring for, or supporting other people
Realistic
working with tools, equipment, materials, or the physical world
O*NET job zone 5 of 5
Extensive preparation—often graduate education and significant experience—is common.
Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.
May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.
Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.
“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.
BLS estimates 0.7% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.
Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.
Doctoral / professional degree
Training path: Medical degree plus paid residency.
Related work experience: None.
On-the-job training: Internship/residency.
Requires a medical degree, a residency in ophthalmology, and a state medical license to practice.
Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.
A physician who diagnoses and treats eye disease and performs eye surgery, and one of the very highest-paid jobs tracked, above $239,000.
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Standard Occupational Classification 29-1241. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.