Annual Salary
£31,365 to £62,001
Average UK salary in 2019 was £30,378
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Social care or Therapy or go back to all job sectors
Swap to Social care or Therapy or go back to all job sectors
Optometrists test vision, identify eye health problems, prescribe glasses and fit contact lenses.
Average UK salary in 2019 was £30,378
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings; on shifts
There will be
6% more Optometrist jobs in 2026.
In your local area
As part of your day-to-day duties, you could:
You could work at a store, in an NHS or private hospital, at a GP practice or in a laboratory.
You can get into this job through:
You'll need to get a degree in optometry, approved by the [General Optical Council | https://www.optical.org/en/Education/What_to_study_and_where/index.cfm] (GOC).
You'll also complete a one-year pre-registration paid and supervised work placement, with a registered optometrist, and pass the GOC final assessment to qualify.
You'll usually need:
If you're working as a dispensing optician, you could retrain in optometry.
You'll need to complete an approved optometry degree and pre-registration year.
You'll find it helpful to get some paid or voluntary experience in a healthcare setting before you apply for a course.
You could contact the voluntary services co-ordinator at your local NHS trust for further advice.
You'll need to:
You can find out more about working in optometry from:The College of Optometrists; General Optical Council; Health Careers
You could specialise in an area like paediatrics (working with children), contact lenses, sports vision or low vision.
You could study for an MSc in optometry or train further in contact lens practice, therapeutics (prescribing drugs for certain eye problems) or specific conditions like diabetes and glaucoma.
You'll need: