Career Suggestion

Optometrist

Optometrists test vision, identify eye health problems, manage treatments, prescribe glasses and fit contact lenses.

Average salary (a year)

£40000.0 to £65000.0 (starter to experienced)

Typical hours (a week)

37.0 to 40.0

You could work

evenings on shifts

How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

You can get into this job through a university course or by working towards the role.

To become an optometrist you'll need to:

get a postgraduate master's degree in optometry, approved by the General Optical Council (GOC)
complete a pre-registration work placement for 1 year under the supervision of a registered optometrist
pass the GOC final assessment to qualify

You'll usually need:

5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science
3 A levels, or equivalent, including at least 1 science

equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
student finance for fees and living costs|https://www.gov.uk/student-finance
university courses and entry requirements|https://www.ucas.com/

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.

Volunteering in the NHS is a good way to get work experience in healthcare. This can be helpful when you apply for jobs or training.

You could also contact high street opticians directly for information on work experience schemes.

you'll need to be registered with the General Optical Council

You can find out more about working in optometry from:

You'll need:

You'll need to:

pass enhanced background checks as you may work with children and vulnerable adults

As an optometrist, you could:

examine eyes to identify vision problems
identify signs of underlying health conditions, like diabetes
design treatment plans and give advice about eye care
prescribe and fit glasses, medical contact lenses and low vision aids
run eye health clinics in hospitals and community settings
refer patients to specialists, including ophthalmologists (eye surgeons), when needed
supervise dispensing opticians and trainee optometrists

You could work in an NHS or private hospital, at a health centre, at a GP practice or at a store.

With experience, you could:

specialise in age-related issues like macula degeneration or glaucoma
work with particular groups like young children or people who are partially sighted
take up a senior management position in a hospital department
teach optometry students at university
move into eye health research

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