Looking for a varied and rewarding career in health care? Take a closer look at optometry!
What is an optometrist?
Optometrists, previously known as ophthalmic opticians, are qualified eye care professionals who specialise in eye health and vision correction. They are trained to examine eyes to detect defects in vision, signs of injury, ocular diseases or abnormality and problems with general health, such as high blood pressure or diabetes. They make an eye health assessment, offer clinical advice and treatment where appropriate, prescribe spectacles or contact lenses and, when necessary, refer patients for further management.
What's the difference between an optometrist and a dispensing optician?
Both optometrists and dispensing opticians work in eye care, but they have different roles:
optometrists conduct eye examinations, diagnose and manage eye conditions and prescribe spectacles or contact lenses
dispensing opticians fit and dispense spectacles and contact lenses based on prescriptions provided by optometrists or ophthalmologists
Optometrists complete an integrated Master's degree, which must include 48 weeks of patient-facing experience to meet the General Optical Council (GOC)'s Education and Training Requirements during the four year course (five in Scotland). Dispensing opticians may be able to qualify as optometrists via a shorter period of learning. The College provides 44 weeks of the required clinical placement experience for student optometrists, as part of most universities’ Masters in Optometry degrees through its Clinical Learning in practice (CLiP) programme. Current GOC-approved courses can be found on UCAS.
Optometry students must be registered continuously with the GOC during their degree. Once they pass all the required assessments, demonstrating they meet all the GOC outcomes, and graduate, they may then register with the GOC to practise in the UK as a qualified optometrist.
Optometrists who qualified outside of the UK need to apply to GOC to join the register in the UK.
Subjects required for optometry
Most universities will ask for a combination of two or more of the following subjects:
Biology
Chemistry
Maths
Physics
Grades required for optometry undergraduate degrees
Grade requirements vary across universities, but typical offer levels are: 1
A Levels: AAB
Scottish Highers: AABBB
How much do optometrists earn in the UK?
The median salary for optometrists in the UK, from the 2025 member survey, is between £40,000-£54,999, with 21% earning more than £65,000 a year.2
A locum optometrist's salary can vary quite widely. Locums can make between £46,800 at entry level, up to £87,360 per year as an experienced optometrist.3
Dispensing opticians advise on, fit and supply spectacle frames and lenses after taking account of each patient's lifestyle and vocational needs. Dispensing opticians are also able to fit contact lenses after undergoing further specialist training. Visit the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) website to find out more.
An ophthalmic nurse is a registered nurse specialising in eye care. They provide care to patients with visual impairments or eye conditions and work with ophthalmologists in various settings such as hospitals and clinics. An ophthalmic nurse can offer a wide range of services, including assessments, pre- and post-operative care, and assisting with surgical procedures. Find out more about becoming a nurse on the Nursing and Midwifery Council website.
Ophthalmologistsare surgical and medical specialists able to perform operations on eyes. Medically qualified, they mainly work in eye hospitals and hospital eye departments. Visit the Royal College of Ophthalmologists website to find out more.
Orthoptists generally work with ophthalmologists in hospitals and in the community. They are concerned with eye problems relating to eye movements and the inability of the eyes to work together. Examples of these problems are squint (strabismus), lazy eye (amblyopia) and double vision (diplopia). Visit the British and Irish Orthoptic Society website to find out more.