Vision & Hearing

Careers that help people see and hear, from eye surgeons and audiologists to artists who craft custom artificial eyes.

Top pay: highest pay, longest training

• Ophthalmologist: A medical doctor and surgeon who treats eye diseases and performs eye surgery. Typical pay $350k.
• Otolaryngologist: Treats and operates on the ears, nose, throat, head, and neck. Typical pay $400k.
• Optometrist: Examines eyes, prescribes glasses and contacts, and diagnoses and treats many eye diseases. Typical pay $132k.
• Retina Specialist: Ophthalmologist who treats diseases of the retina, the light-sensing layer at the back of the eye. Typical pay $480k.
• Pediatric Ophthalmologist: Eye doctor and surgeon who treats children's eye problems like crossed eyes and lazy eye. Typical pay $290k.
• Neuro-Ophthalmologist: Doctor who treats vision problems caused by the brain and nerves rather than the eye itself. Typical pay $280k.

Mid pay: solid pay, degree or apprenticeship

• Audiologist: Diagnoses and treats hearing loss, balance problems, and ringing in the ears. Typical pay $92k.
• Orthoptist: Diagnoses and treats eye-movement problems like crossed eyes and lazy eye, mostly in kids. Typical pay $80k.
• Ocular Prosthetist: Makes custom artificial eyes for people who lost an eye to injury, cancer, or a birth defect. Typical pay $70k.
• Low Vision Therapist: Helps people with partial sight use their remaining vision to read, cook, and live independently. Typical pay $70k.
• Orientation & Mobility Specialist: Teaches blind and visually impaired people to travel safely and independently. Typical pay $65k.
• Hearing Instrument Specialist: Tests hearing and fits, programs, and repairs hearing aids. Typical pay $60k.
• Ophthalmic Photographer: Takes specialized photos and scans of the inside of the eye to help diagnose disease. Typical pay $58k.
• Cochlear Implant Audiologist: Audiologist who programs cochlear implants so deaf patients can hear. Typical pay $95k.
• Educational Audiologist: Audiologist who helps students with hearing loss succeed in school. Typical pay $85k.

Starter: fastest way in

• Ophthalmic Technician: Helps eye doctors by testing vision, measuring eye pressure, and running eye scans. Typical pay $45k.
• Dispensing Optician: Helps customers choose and fit eyeglasses and contact lenses based on prescriptions. Typical pay $45k.
• Ophthalmic Laboratory Technician: Grinds, cuts, and assembles prescription lenses into eyeglass frames. Typical pay $41k.
• Audiology Assistant: Supports audiologists with hearing screenings, hearing aid cleaning, and patient prep. Typical pay $38k.
• Contact Lens Technician: Fits patients with contact lenses and teaches them how to use them. Typical pay $42k.
• Optometric Technician: Runs eye tests in an optometrist's office before the doctor sees the patient. Typical pay $40k.
• Occupational Hearing Conservationist: Tests the hearing of workers in loud jobs to catch noise damage early. Typical pay $45k.
• Eye Bank Technician: Recovers corneas from people who donated their eyes after death and prepares them for transplants that restore sight. Typical pay $50k.
• Vision Therapist: Works with an optometrist to train eye-teaming and focusing skills through exercises, often for kids who struggle with reading. Typical pay $42k.

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.