{"id":816,"date":"2022-07-08T18:45:04","date_gmt":"2022-07-08T18:45:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.warbyparker.com\/learn\/?p=816"},"modified":"2024-09-10T11:57:56","modified_gmt":"2024-09-10T15:57:56","slug":"optometrist-vs-ophthalmologist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/optometrist-vs-ophthalmologist","title":{"rendered":"Optometrist vs. Ophthalmologist vs. Optician: The Different Types of Eye Doctors Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>What do you call an eye doctor?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It might sound like the beginning to a bad joke, but for many people, it\u2019s an earnest question. There are several kinds of eye health professionals out there, and they\u2019re each qualified to do different things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read on to learn what each type of eye doctor does and how they can help with your vision and ocular health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Are the 3 Types of Eye Doctors?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When people use the term \u201ceye doctor,\u201d chances are they\u2019re referring to one of three professions: an optician, optometrist, or ophthalmologist. Of these three, only the last two are considered physicians who see and treat patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The difference between an optician, optometrist, and ophthalmologist lies in their training and the services they can provide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Next, we\u2019ll look at how an optician\u2019s role compares to that of eye doctors. Then, we\u2019ll take a deeper dive into the difference between an optometrist and ophthalmologist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Optician vs. Eye Doctor<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Opticians aren&#8217;t doctors\u2014they\u2019re specialized technicians. Opticians typically hold a certification or\u00a0associate degree. In many states (about half of them), opticians are required to be licensed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You might interact with an optician before, during, or after an exam with your eye doctor. Services that opticians typically perform include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Filling prescriptions from the eye doctor<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fitting corrective lenses to patients by taking measurements such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/pupillary-distance\">pupillary distance<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Educating patients about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/eyeglasses\/lenses\">lens options<\/a> and coatings, as well as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/accessories\">eyewear accessories<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Adjusting and repairing glasses frames<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Managing and ordering eyewear inventory<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keeping records of patient information and purchases<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Helping patients to navigate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/insurance\">vision insurance<\/a> and submitting insurance information<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Performing other administrative and customer service tasks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Optometrist vs. Ophthalmologist<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The diagram below illustrates the key differences between optometrists and ophthalmologists. Use it as a handy reference guide when you\u2019re wondering which eye doctor is which.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Both <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/optometrist\">optometrists<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/ophthalmologist\">ophthalmologists<\/a> can diagnose, treat, and manage ocular conditions. So, what\u2019s the difference between an optometrist and an ophthalmologist? It comes down to a mix of educational paths, degrees, and what they focus on as health practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Optometrists tend to specialize in routine, primary eye care, whereas ophthalmologists tend to subspecialize in certain disciplines and can perform surgical intervention if required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is an Optometrist as Good as an Ophthalmologist?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Neither profession is \u201cbetter\u201d than the other\u2014optometrists and ophthalmologists are different jobs with different responsibilities. Both professions support each other and are a vital part in patients&#8217; eye care. It would be best to see an optometrist for certain eye issues and an ophthalmologist for others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Training for Optometrists vs. Ophthalmologist<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Optometrists are professionals with a Doctorate of Optometry (OD) degree, and as such are considered to be practicing eye doctors. They\u2019re technically not medical doctors, as they don\u2019t have a Doctor of Medicine degree (MD). However, it\u2019s inappropriate to imply that optometrists are not \u201creal\u201d doctors\u2014their training qualifies them to provide dependable primary care for most people\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ophthalmologists have advanced training. They may hold either a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Salaries for Optometrists vs. Ophthalmologists<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, optometrists had an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/oes\/current\/oes291041.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">average salary of about $133,100 in 2022<\/a>. For the same year, ophthalmologists (excluding pediatric surgeons) had an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/oes\/current\/oes291241.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">average salary of about $265,450<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">No Matter What They\u2019re Called, Eye Doctors Want the Best For Your Eyes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The important question isn\u2019t \u201cWhat do you call an eye doctor?\u201d, but \u201cWhich eye care professional should you call, and when?\u201d Now that you know the difference between opticians, optometrists, and ophthalmologists, hopefully you know who to contact when you\u2019re experiencing any eye or eyewear troubles. These professionals might have different roles and educational backgrounds, but they all have your eyes\u2019 best interests in mind.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What do you call an eye doctor? It might sound like the beginning to a bad joke, but for many people, it\u2019s an earnest question. There are several kinds of eye health professionals out there, and they\u2019re each qualified to do different things. Read on to learn what each type of eye doctor does and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":821,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-816","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-eye-health"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Optometrist vs. Ophthalmologist vs. Optician | Warby Parker<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What&#039;s the difference between an optician, optometrist, and ophthalmologist? Read about eye care pros here.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/optometrist-vs-ophthalmologist\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Optometrist vs. Ophthalmologist vs. Optician | Warby Parker\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What&#039;s the difference between an optician, optometrist, and ophthalmologist? 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