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Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric

Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric: Career Profile

Diagnose and perform surgery to treat and help prevent disorders and diseases of the eye. May also provide vision services for treatment including glasses and contacts.

What Tasks Do Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric Do?

The core tasks performed by ophthalmologists, except pediatric include:

  • Perform comprehensive examinations of the visual system to determine the nature or extent of ocular disorders.
  • Diagnose or treat injuries, disorders, or diseases of the eye and eye structures including the cornea, sclera, conjunctiva, or eyelids.
  • Provide or direct the provision of postoperative care.
  • Develop or implement plans and procedures for ophthalmologic services.
  • Prescribe or administer topical or systemic medications to treat ophthalmic conditions and to manage pain.
  • Develop treatment plans based on patients' histories and goals, the nature and severity of disorders, and treatment risks and benefits.
  • Perform ophthalmic surgeries such as cataract, glaucoma, refractive, corneal, vitro-retinal, eye muscle, or oculoplastic surgeries.
  • Educate patients about maintenance and promotion of healthy vision.

Skills and Knowledge

Successful ophthalmologists, except pediatric combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Most Important Skills

The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Reading Comprehension  4.2 / 5
0
5
Critical Thinking  4.2 / 5
0
5
Active Listening  4.1 / 5
0
5
Complex Problem Solving  4.0 / 5
0
5
Active Learning  4.0 / 5
0
5
Speaking  4.0 / 5
0
5

Top Knowledge Areas

Medicine and Dentistry  4.5 / 5
0
5
English Language  4.4 / 5
0
5
Customer and Personal Service  4.1 / 5
0
5
Biology  3.8 / 5
0
5
Administration and Management  3.6 / 5
0
5
Education and Training  3.5 / 5
0
5

This career also goes by job titles like:

  • Clinical Ophthalmologist
  • Cornea Specialist
  • Cornea and External Disease Physician
  • Glaucoma Specialist
  • Medical Doctor (MD)
  • Neuro-Ophthalmologist
  • Oculoplastic Specialist
  • Ophthalmic Surgeon

How Many Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric Are There?

There are roughly 2,543,971 ophthalmologists, except pediatric working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +5.2% over the projection horizon.

Forecasted number of jobs for Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric

How Much Do Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric Make?

Statistic Value
Annual median $90,102
Hourly median $43.32
10th percentile $56,375
25th percentile $73,239
75th percentile $106,966
90th percentile $123,830

Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.

Salary ranges for Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric

Pay by State

State Annual median salary
Connecticut $218,770
Maryland $218,490
Wisconsin $214,690
Louisiana $212,890
Pennsylvania $208,060
Oklahoma $208,000
South Carolina $206,450
Vermont $205,130
Alabama $181,490
South Dakota $174,160
Utah $168,530

Top-Paying U.S. Regions

Earnings for ophthalmologists, except pediatric vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:

Region Median annual wage Share of U.S. jobs Location quotient
Rocky Mountains $53,220 2.2% 0.53
Great Lakes $42,633 16.0% 0.94
Middle Atlantic $41,098 18.4% 1.11
Southeast $14,746 20.7% 1.41
Plains States $10,662 5.6% 1.01
New England $10,256 9.1% 1.97

Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric

Metro area State Median annual wage Employment
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY NY $224,340 90
Columbus, OH OH $222,280
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV DC $218,490 230
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD PA $215,060 100
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI WI $214,690 110
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MD $213,490
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX TX $211,550
Kansas City, MO-KS MO $210,990

Industry Breakdown

Most ophthalmologists, except pediatric are found across these industries:

Industry Employment Median annual wage
Health Care and Social Assistance 11,800 n/a
Retail Trade 150 n/a
Educational Services 120 $80,000
Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric sectors

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric industries

Tools and Technology

  • Medical software: eClinicalWorks EHR software (hot technology)
  • Medical software: Epic Systems (hot technology)
  • Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
  • Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)

Work Environment

The work environment for ophthalmologists, except pediatric tends to involve the following characteristics:

  • Freedom to Make Decisions
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
  • Contact With Others
  • Frequency of Decision Making
  • E-Mail

How to Become Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric

This career aligns with Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.

Similar Occupations

Similar Occupations

Degree Programs

Aspiring ophthalmologists, except pediatric commonly pursue programs in:

2 programs across 1 majors

2 programs across 1 majors

Sources

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: 29-1241.00 (Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric).

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