Orthoptists
Diagnose and treat visual system disorders such as binocular vision and eye movement impairments.
Orthoptists diagnose and treat visual system disorders such as binocular vision and eye movement impairments. The role reports a median annual salary of $113,730 in the US and is showing modest growth of 2% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a Master's degree, and shows low AI exposure (0.34 on a 0-1 scale) — the role's core work resists automation. The most in-demand skills for the role include hygiene in a health care setting, ophthalmological examination methods, health care legislation, neurophysiology, medical terminology.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £42,079 a year for Other health professionals n.e.c. (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £34,346 to £49,077 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 2259). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
No official India pay figure for this career: it falls in more than one occupation group, and the Government of India's labour survey (PLFS) publishes pay only by occupation group.
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- English Language
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Education and Training
- Customer and Personal Service
- Psychology
- Biology
- Therapy and Counseling
- Mathematics
What you'd actually do
- 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.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Orthoptists do?
Diagnose and treat visual system disorders such as binocular vision and eye movement impairments.
How much does Orthoptists earn?
The median annual salary for Orthoptists in the US is $113,730.
What is the job outlook for Orthoptists?
The role is showing modest growth of 2% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 41,300 workers.
How do I become a orthoptists?
The typical entry education is a Master's degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Orthoptists need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include hygiene in a health care setting, ophthalmological examination methods, health care legislation, neurophysiology, medical terminology, treatment of strabismus. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Orthoptists?
Our AI-durability model gives Orthoptists a score of 0.34 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at low AI exposure — the role's core work resists current-generation automation. It's a comparatively AI-durable choice within its field.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Orthoptists has high barrier to entry — highly gated — a graduate degree or extended training/apprenticeship is typically required.