SOC 29-1241.00Bright outlook

    Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric

    Diagnose and perform surgery to treat and help prevent disorders and diseases of the eye.

    Median pay
    $300,080
    Growth
    +4.5%
    As fast as average
    Openings a year
    200
    Typical education
    Doctoral or professional degree

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $100,180
    Median
    $300,080
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $489,710
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    8,950 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Ophthalmologists are medical doctors who diagnose, treat, and perform surgery on the eyes, while also providing vision services like prescribing glasses. This high-paying medical specialty offers a median annual salary of $300,080.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What ophthalmologists, except pediatric do

    Job Zone 5: Extensive preparation

    Diagnose and perform surgery to treat and help prevent disorders and diseases of the eye. May also provide vision services for treatment including glasses and contacts.

    Most need a graduate degree, such as a master's, PhD, MD or JD.

    What the work is like

    Ophthalmologists spend their days diagnosing and treating various eye diseases and disorders. Their daily work activities revolve around identifying objects and events, analyzing patient data, and making critical decisions to solve complex medical problems. They provide direct care and consultation to patients, which requires strong skills in active listening, social perceptiveness, and speaking.

    To succeed in this role, individuals must have deep knowledge of medicine, biology, customer service, and English. They must also be comfortable using computers and electronics in their practice. Because they perform delicate surgeries and make life-altering medical decisions, these professionals must exhibit work styles such as extreme attention to detail, cautiousness, dependability, and self-control. They must also have high stress tolerance and integrity. This career strongly appeals to those with investigative interests who enjoy intellectual curiosity, active learning, and solving scientific puzzles.

    How to get there

    Entering this career requires an extensive level of preparation. Candidates typically need to complete a doctoral or professional degree, such as a Doctor of Medicine. The primary college major that leads to this profession is medicine.

    After completing their medical degree, aspiring ophthalmologists must undergo extensive clinical training and residency programs. To practice, professionals can pursue the Ophthalmology certification offered by the American Board of Physician Specialties. Additionally, some states list a license for this work, so candidates must check the specific medical board guidelines in the state where they plan to practice.

    Pay and outlook explained

    The median annual pay for these specialists is $300,080. Earnings vary based on experience and location, with the lowest 10% earning less than $100,180 and the highest 10% earning more than $489,710.

    There are currently 8,950 people employed in this field. Between 2025 and 2035, employment is projected to grow by 4.5%, which is as fast as the average for all occupations. This growth is expected to result in 200 job openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    57 / 100
    Investigative (I) · strongest
    87 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    12 / 100
    Social (S)
    74 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    33 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    45 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code ISR. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    93
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    93
    Assisting and Caring for Others
    92
    Documenting/Recording Information
    91
    Analyzing Data or Information
    91
    Getting Information
    91
    Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    91
    Processing Information
    89
    Providing Consultation and Advice to Others
    88
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    87
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Critical Thinking
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Active Listening
    • Active Learning
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Monitoring
    • Social Perceptiveness
    • Speaking
    • Writing

    Knowledge

    • Medicine and Dentistry
    • English Language
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Biology
    • Administration and Management
    • Education and Training
    • Mathematics
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Psychology
    • Economics and Accounting

    Abilities

    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Near Vision
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Written Comprehension
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Oral Expression
    • Speech Clarity
    • Speech Recognition
    • Written Expression

    Work styles

    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Cautiousness
    • Integrity
    • Self-Control
    • Intellectual Curiosity
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Perseverance
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Cooperation

    Also called

    Clinical Ophthalmologist · Cornea and External Disease Physician · Cornea Specialist · Glaucoma Specialist · Medical Doctor (MD) · Neuro-Ophthalmologist · Oculoplastic Specialist · Ophthalmic Surgeon · Ophthalmologist · Ophthalmologist Specialist

    Career pathway

    From your interests to ophthalmologists, except pediatric

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric$300,080 median pay

    3. Majors

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What ophthalmologists, except pediatric may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Medicine
    • Ophthalmology Residency Program
    • Ophthalmology Residency/Fellowship Programs, Other
    • Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    53 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Federal

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

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    Questions about ophthalmologists, except pediatric

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What is the typical education required for this career?

    You must earn a doctoral or professional degree to enter this field. This typically involves completing medical school with a major in medicine, followed by specialized residency training.

    How fast is this field growing?

    Employment in this field is projected to grow 4.5% from 2025 to 2035, which is as fast as the average for all occupations. This growth will generate about 200 job openings each year.

    Are there professional certifications available?

    Yes, practitioners can obtain the Ophthalmology certification from the American Board of Physician Specialties. Additionally, some states list a license for this work.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.