The medical field is one of the most lucrative and rewarding fields that you can go into. It is also rapidly expanding and there are always many jobs available. It also offers many different types of career tracks. One such career track is an optometrist. An optometrist is a licensed medical professional that studies and cares for patients vision. They diagnose and treat diseases of the eye and also can fit patients for glasses and contact lenses.

The Optometrist Salary can vary. The salary will depend on several factors. Location, specialty that you work in and the type of place you work will effect the amount of the optometrist salary. The average salary of an optometrist in the United States is about $65,000 per year for a new graduate and about $90,000 for an optometrist with about five years of experience.

The area that you work in will also greatly effect the amount of salary that you will earn as an optometrist. Alaska, Florida and Kansas are the top paying states with pay in Alaska averaging about $130,000 per year. The worst paying states are Puerto Rico, Wyoming and Montana with the average pay in Puerto Rico $58,000 per year.

The type of place an optometrist works will also effect the rate of pay. The highest paid optometrists either work for themselves or work within a group of optometrists. This is especially true when they are connected to an optical store that provides lenses and glasses.

The job outlook for an optometrist is increasing. By 2018, there is a projected growth in the job market for optometrists at the rate of 24 percent. Since there are only a little over one thousand optometrist graduates a year, finding a job is a simple process. There are more jobs available in states such as California and Texas due to the amount of people in these states.

Education is also important in your salary level. To become an optometrist you must first obtain a four year doctor of optometry degree at an optometry accredited school. Admission to these schools is highly competitive as there are only about 20 accredited schools in the United States. After you have graduated, you will need to complete a one year residency program. All optometrists must also be licensed. This will require either a national or statewide test. This license will need to be renewed every 1-3 years depending on your state.

A career in the optometry field can be a very lucrative and rewarding career choice. It allows you to choose what type of places that you want to work and to help people while doing it. There is a great need for optometrists in the coming years and there are many jobs that need to be filled. Remember, to get the best salary you must have both a doctorate and be licensed in your state in order to practice. This is a career field that you will constantly be learning new things and your education will never be over. Also, salaried optometrists make more than hourly employees. Keep all of these factors in mind when deciding on a career in optometry.