Annual Salary
£37,000 to £61,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(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 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings; on shifts
There will be
3.8% more Optometrist jobs in 2027.
As an optometrist 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 a university course or by working towards this role.
To become an optometrist you'll need to:get a degree in optometry, approved by the General Optical Council (GOC); complete a pre-registration work placement which takes 1 year and you'll be supervised by a registered optometrist; pass the GOC final assessment to qualify
You'll usually need:
If you're working as a dispensing optician, you could retrain to become an optometrist.
You'll need to complete an approved optometry degree and pre-registration year.
You'll find it helpful to get some work experience in healthcare before you apply for a course.
You could also contact high street opticians directly for information on work experience schemes.
You'll need to:
You can find out more about working in optometry from:The College of Optometrists; General Optical Council; Health Careers
With experience you could:specialise in an area like contact lenses, sports vision, low vision or working with children; study for a postgraduate master's degree in optometry; train further in prescribing drugs for certain eye problems or working with specific conditions like diabetes or glaucoma
Opportunities are available with employers such as Specsavers
You'll need: