Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapists: Career Overview
Provide therapy to patients with visual impairments to improve their functioning in daily life activities. May train patients in activities such as computer use, communication skills, or home management skills.
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What Tasks Do Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapists Do?
The day-to-day responsibilities of low vision therapists, orientation and mobility specialists, and vision rehabilitation therapists include:
- Teach cane skills, including cane use with a guide, diagonal techniques, and two-point touches.
- Recommend appropriate mobility devices or systems, such as human guides, dog guides, long canes, electronic travel aids (ETAs), and other adaptive mobility devices (AMDs).
- Train clients with visual impairments to use mobility devices or systems, such as human guides, dog guides, electronic travel aids (ETAs), and other adaptive mobility devices (AMDs).
- Develop rehabilitation or instructional plans collaboratively with clients, based on results of assessments, needs, and goals.
- Write reports or complete forms to document assessments, training, progress, or follow-up outcomes.
- Train clients to use tactile, auditory, kinesthetic, olfactory, and proprioceptive information.
- Assess clients' functioning in areas such as vision, orientation and mobility skills, social and emotional issues, cognition, physical abilities, and personal goals.
- Teach clients to travel independently, using a variety of actual or simulated travel situations or exercises.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful low vision therapists, orientation and mobility specialists, and vision rehabilitation therapists rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Other Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapists Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Blind Orientation and Mobility Therapist (Blind O and M Therapist)
- Certified Low Vision Therapist (CLVT)
- Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS)
- Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist (CVRT)
- Global Mobility Specialist
- Low Vision Therapist
- Mobility Professional
- Mobility Specialist
How Many Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapists Are There?
The U.S. employs around 3,202,021 low vision therapists, orientation and mobility specialists, and vision rehabilitation therapists working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -1.5% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapists
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $124,839 |
| Hourly median | $60.02 |
| 10th percentile | $74,068 |
| 25th percentile | $99,454 |
| 75th percentile | $150,225 |
| 90th percentile | $175,611 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapists Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $119,470 |
| Oregon | $106,840 |
| Nevada | $104,770 |
| Colorado | $103,970 |
| Oklahoma | $103,510 |
| New Jersey | $103,340 |
| Washington | $102,360 |
| Arizona | $102,220 |
| Connecticut | $102,080 |
| Maryland | $101,880 |
| Texas | $101,760 |
| Virginia | $100,540 |
| Alaska | $100,070 |
| Arkansas | $99,350 |
| District of Columbia | $99,290 |
| New Mexico | $99,220 |
| Rhode Island | $99,150 |
| Florida | $99,070 |
| Illinois | $98,900 |
| Georgia | $98,690 |
| Massachusetts | $98,420 |
| South Carolina | $97,370 |
| Kansas | $97,000 |
| Delaware | $96,080 |
| Tennessee | $96,030 |
| Ohio | $95,880 |
| Alabama | $95,410 |
| New York | $95,370 |
| North Carolina | $94,580 |
| Hawaii | $94,550 |
| Pennsylvania | $94,120 |
| Louisiana | $94,030 |
| Missouri | $93,600 |
| Indiana | $93,500 |
| Utah | $93,310 |
| West Virginia | $93,260 |
| Mississippi | $92,330 |
| Kentucky | $91,250 |
| Wyoming | $89,370 |
| Iowa | $88,780 |
| Idaho | $88,470 |
| Nebraska | $87,010 |
| Wisconsin | $86,660 |
| Vermont | $86,420 |
| Minnesota | $85,040 |
| New Hampshire | $84,980 |
| Michigan | $84,480 |
| Montana | $84,440 |
| Maine | $82,200 |
| South Dakota | $81,430 |
| North Dakota | $79,910 |
| Puerto Rico | $47,590 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for low vision therapists, orientation and mobility specialists, and vision rehabilitation therapists differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $113,703 | 12.2% | 0.74 |
| Southwest | $101,825 | 10.6% | 0.84 |
| Rocky Mountains | $98,296 | 4.1% | 1.11 |
| Middle Atlantic | $97,244 | 17.2% | 1.13 |
| Southeast | $97,018 | 22.9% | 0.94 |
| New England | $96,547 | 8.1% | 1.71 |
| Great Lakes | $92,914 | 17.1% | 1.20 |
| Plains States | $89,024 | 7.6% | 1.14 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $134,720 | 700 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | CA | $133,850 | 80 |
| Vallejo, CA | CA | $129,830 | 90 |
| Chico, CA | CA | $128,980 | 80 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $128,960 | 1,510 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | CA | $126,220 | 90 |
| Napa, CA | CA | $124,680 | 40 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $123,900 | 650 |
Which Industries Hire Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapists
Most low vision therapists, orientation and mobility specialists, and vision rehabilitation therapists are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 125,010 | $99,190 |
| Educational Services | 20,390 | $83,890 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 2,490 | $87,430 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 500 | $97,760 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 280 | $60,550 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 80 | $84,030 |
| Finance and Insurance | 40 | $104,660 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Web Services AWS software (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Process mapping and design software: Microsoft Visio (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Oracle Database (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: Oracle Java (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Oracle PeopleSoft (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: Python (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for low vision therapists, orientation and mobility specialists, and vision rehabilitation therapists tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Physical Proximity
How to Become Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapists
Most low vision therapists, orientation and mobility specialists, and vision rehabilitation therapists positions require a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Marriage and Family Therapists (Supplemental)
- Mental Health Counselors (Primary-Long)
- Rehabilitation Counselors (Primary-Short)
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers (Supplemental)
- Special Education Teachers, Preschool (Supplemental)
- Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten (Primary-Long)
- Special Education Teachers, Secondary School (Supplemental)
- Adapted Physical Education Specialists (Primary-Long)
Where to Study
Future low vision therapists, orientation and mobility specialists, and vision rehabilitation therapists often complete programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 29-1122.01 (Occupational Therapists).
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