Orthoptists: Career Overview
Diagnose and treat visual system disorders such as binocular vision and eye movement impairments.
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What Tasks Do Orthoptists Perform?
Typical responsibilities of orthoptists span:
- Examine patients with problems related to ocular motility, binocular vision, amblyopia, or strabismus.
- Evaluate, diagnose, or treat disorders of the visual system with an emphasis on binocular vision or abnormal eye movements.
- Provide instructions to patients or family members concerning diagnoses or treatment plans.
- Perform diagnostic tests or measurements, such as motor testing, visual acuity testing, lensometry, retinoscopy, and color vision testing.
- Provide nonsurgical interventions, including corrective lenses, patches, drops, fusion exercises, or stereograms, to treat conditions such as strabismus, heterophoria, and convergence insufficiency.
- Develop nonsurgical treatment plans for patients with conditions such as strabismus, nystagmus, and other visual disorders.
- Interpret clinical or diagnostic test results.
- Develop or use special test and communication techniques to facilitate diagnosis and treatment of children or patients with disabilities.
What Orthoptists Need to Know
Effective orthoptists combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Types of Orthoptists Jobs
Common job titles for this role include:
- Certified Orthoptist
- Clinical Orthoptist (CO)
- Orthoptist
Employment and Demand
There are about 2,797,992 orthoptists working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +4.8% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Orthoptists Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $135,811 |
| Hourly median | $65.29 |
| 10th percentile | $80,891 |
| 25th percentile | $108,351 |
| 75th percentile | $163,270 |
| 90th percentile | $190,730 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Orthoptists Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Maryland | $160,560 |
| District of Columbia | $145,480 |
| Virginia | $128,940 |
| Montana | $124,550 |
| Georgia | $123,840 |
| California | $118,210 |
| New York | $117,190 |
| Hawaii | $116,800 |
| Utah | $113,730 |
| North Carolina | $112,590 |
| Missouri | $111,050 |
| Maine | $108,020 |
| Washington | $107,100 |
| Massachusetts | $104,770 |
| Wisconsin | $104,330 |
| Minnesota | $104,100 |
| Connecticut | $102,150 |
| Texas | $101,420 |
| New Jersey | $100,900 |
| Wyoming | $99,570 |
| Nevada | $98,740 |
| Ohio | $96,700 |
| New Mexico | $96,660 |
| Vermont | $94,450 |
| Alaska | $94,000 |
| Alabama | $92,750 |
| West Virginia | $92,750 |
| Kentucky | $89,860 |
| Nebraska | $89,380 |
| Illinois | $88,730 |
| Michigan | $88,000 |
| Rhode Island | $87,050 |
| Tennessee | $86,940 |
| North Dakota | $86,940 |
| Iowa | $86,830 |
| Colorado | $86,740 |
| Oregon | $85,840 |
| Louisiana | $84,640 |
| Kansas | $83,510 |
| Mississippi | $82,220 |
| Puerto Rico | $81,890 |
| Pennsylvania | $80,720 |
| Arizona | $79,990 |
| Indiana | $79,790 |
| Arkansas | $79,790 |
| South Dakota | $79,790 |
| New Hampshire | $79,730 |
| South Carolina | $66,950 |
Where Orthoptists Earn the Most
Pay for orthoptists shift depending on where you work. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $145,220 | 29.7% | 8.73 |
| Southeast | $110,915 | 21.9% | 1.94 |
| Far Western US | $108,986 | 12.1% | 0.83 |
| Rocky Mountains | $97,978 | 4.2% | 1.19 |
| Plains States | $97,753 | 4.9% | 0.69 |
| New England | $95,500 | 8.5% | 4.06 |
| Great Lakes | $91,446 | 11.3% | 0.74 |
| Southwest | $88,248 | 7.1% | 0.56 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | NC | $179,960 | 190 |
| Missoula, MT | MT | $177,610 | 30 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $162,610 | 6,330 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | CT | $149,070 | |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $137,240 | 220 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | TX | $137,180 | 240 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $132,790 | |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | GA | $131,120 | 2,530 |
Top Industries Employing Orthoptists
The largest employers of orthoptists are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 1,010 | $78,630 |
| Finance and Insurance | 130 | $111,260 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 100 | $67,000 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 90 | $90,250 |
| Manufacturing | 40 | $105,930 |
| Wholesale Trade | 30 | $134,830 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
Daily working conditions for orthoptists is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Contact With Others
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
How to Become Orthoptists
Typical orthoptists positions require a master’s degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Optometrists (Primary-Short)
- Physician Assistants (Primary-Long)
- Respiratory Therapists (Supplemental)
- Clinical Nurse Specialists (Supplemental)
- Nurse Practitioners (Supplemental)
- Anesthesiologists (Supplemental)
- Dermatologists (Primary-Long)
- Emergency Medicine Physicians (Primary-Short)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Aspiring orthoptists typically earn programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
14 programs across 3 majors
References
Data on this page comes from 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: 29-1299.02 (Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Other).
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