Welcome to the 2024 Optometrist Report! Each year, we survey hundreds of optometrists to capture how today’s ODs are shaping their careers, managing their practices, and adapting to shifts in the eyecare landscape.
In October 2024, we reached out to recent graduates, early-career professionals, and established clinicians to gather their perspectives on student debt, salary expectations, practice metrics, product preferences, growth goals, and the future of optometry.
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2024 Optometrist Report
Peruse the findings from the 2024 Optometrist Report to learn how your colleagues feel about student debt, artificial intelligence, practice management, the future of eyecare, and more.
In the 2024 Optometrist Report, we cover the following:
- Student loan debt: How much student loan debt do optometrists have? How confident do ODs feel about being able to manage their debt?
- Optometrist salaries: How much do optometrists make? And, how satisfied are they with this salary?
- Revenue and spending: What streams bring in the most revenue? What factors influence purchasing decisions?
- Product preferences: What are the preferred manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies? Which electronic health record (EHR) do most ODs currently use in clinic?
- Innovations and technology: What are the most exciting developments in eyecare? How eager are optometrists to adopt newly released innovations?
- Past choices and future goals: If given the option, would most respondents still choose to enter optometry? Are ODs optimistic about the future of the field?
- And much more!
Who's who in the 2024 Optometrist Report
Featuring multiple-choice, Likert scale, and open-ended questions, the survey was designed to maintain clarity, neutrality, and consistency with surveys conducted in previous years. The report represents the data and views of 375 ODs across diverse practice settings from the US and Canada.
Though our respondents came from a broad range of practice settings—from corporate practice to academic/research to those working in jails and detention centers—a majority of 53% reported they worked in private practice. However, only 26.9% reported being practice owners, a big dip from last year’s 73.5%. Of the specialties, most (at 81.6%) reported primary eyecare as their area of expertise.
Female respondents outnumbered males by more than half, with 69.1% identifying as women, while 29.1% identified as male. This is consistent with the gender distribution within the eyecare community.
Addressing the financial picture: Student debt & salary satisfaction
Per usual, student debt and salary were of utmost interest in this year's survey. While overall debt among respondents has risen to a formidable $86,358 compared to $72,553 from the 2023 survey, the current average salary has risen as well. Also, optometrists, on average, rate themselves as confident—at 4.18 out of 5—of their ability to repay student loans.
As mentioned, the average optometrist salary increased 6.7% to $151,970 in 2024, which, though a positive sign, is not keeping pace with the current rate of inflation. At $97,112, starting salaries for new graduates were also up from last year.
As for salary satisfaction, on a scale of 1 to 5 (with 5 being “extremely satisfied”), respondents ranked themselves at 3.23. However, there is cause for optimism, as most optometrists expect their salaries to increase in the coming year.
Overcoming obstacles in optical sales
Big box stores and online optical retailers represent a growing challenge for optometrists. Though purchasing online may offer a level of convenience and competitive prices, patients do not receive the optical expertise needed to achieve the best-fitting glasses.
Therefore, encouraging patients to buy in-office at the time of the appointment is highly preferred. However, optometrists confirmed that 38.85% of patients do not purchase from the practice and, instead, order their glasses elsewhere.
This is a significant fact considering that, according to the practice owners counted in this survey, 41.72% of their practice revenue regularly comes from their optical.
Gratification and growth goals
As well as looking forward, we asked ODs to reevaluate their past by posing the question, “If you went back in time, how likely would you be to choose optometry as your career path?” On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being very likely, respondents reported an encouraging 3.49.
Many respondents proclaimed they loved their career, consistently found eyecare interesting, and especially enjoyed working with patients. Those who were less likely to again choose optometry listed burnout, low pay coupled with high debt, and poor work-life balance as downsides of the profession,
Looking ahead, 48.5% of those surveyed said their practice goal was to grow their business in the current location, with a minority of 15.8% saying they would like to sell their practice within the next 3 years.
Overall, optometrists in 2024 are optimistic about the future of optometry and engaged with new innovations in the field. Over 45% are introducing new modalities of care at their practices. The modalities they are most eager to introduce and implement include myopia management, dry eye, and contact lenses.
Looking forward: AI & emerging innovations in 2025
As with all fields, artificial intelligence (AI) has found its influence in nearly every aspect of eyecare. According to the president of the American Medical Association, “AI will never replace physicians—but physicians who use AI will replace those who don’t”.1
AI has proved effective in predicting AMD progression, diagnosing glaucoma, screening for diabetic retinopathy, identifying keratoconus, and serving as a scribe to offer transcription in real-time.
Considering these current applications and limitless possibilities, it is not surprising that advancement in AI is the innovation ODs are most keenly tracking. This was followed by dry eye and myopia management, which respectively ranked as first and second in 2023.
In addition to the topics mentioned above, this report covers many other areas of interest, including feelings surrounding private equity, utilization of telemedicine, sentiments on the relationship between optometry and ophthalmology, and involvement in advocacy.
Conclusion
To the tens of thousands of individuals who will ultimately download this report, we hope this valuable data educates, enlightens, and empowers you. We are confident you will find ways to leverage this information to positively impact your practice and patient care.
