Also called: Sports Optometrist
An optometrist who trains athletes' visual skills like tracking, reaction time, and depth perception.
They test how fast a hitter's eyes track a pitch and use strobe glasses and light boards to train reaction time. They also fit contact lenses and manage eye injuries. Baseball, hockey, and esports teams use them.
Based on BLS optometrists, May 2024 estimates.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Professional degree (MD, JD, DVM…), about 8 years after high school. Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree plus license; sports vision training.
Ways in: 4-year college, Professional school. Training cost: Over $150k.
Majors to look at: Biology, Pre-Optometry, Kinesiology.
Growing much faster than average (about 8% over 10 years). Much-faster-than-average growth for optometrists.
Low risk for 10 years. AI helps with eye scans and reaction-training software; clinical exams and training athletes stay with optometrists.
Classes: AP Biology, AP Physics, Chemistry.
Official data: O*NET occupation 29-1041.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.