OSCA 263331

Optometrist

Overview

  • Employed persons

    5,300

  • Employment status

    49.9% Full time

    50.0% Part time

  • Median age

    38 years

  • Employment by sex

    57.4% Female

    42.6% Male

    Gender balanced

  • Indigenous employment share

    0.3%

  • Main employing industry

    Health Care and Social Assistance

Indicator Optometrist Total employment
Employed persons 5,300 12,049,400
Median age 38 years 40 years
Full-time share 49.9% 64.2%
Part-time share 50.0% 35.8%
Female employment share 57.4% 48.5%
Male employment share 42.6% 51.5%
Gender segregation intensity scale Gender balanced Gender balanced
Indigenous employment share 0.3% 2.2%
Main employing industry Health Care and Social Assistance Health Care and Social Assistance
Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

Occupation overview

Optometrists perform eye examinations and vision tests to determine the presence of visual, ocular and other abnormalities, ocular diseases and systemic diseases with ocular manifestations, and prescribe lenses, other optical aids, therapy and medication to correct and manage vision problems and eye diseases.

What the occupation involves

  • Performs eye examinations and vision tests to assess visual acuity, detect abnormalities and diagnose refractive errors
  • Evaluates and manages ocular diseases and conditions, such as glaucoma, cataracts and macular degeneration
  • Prescribes and fits contact lenses and other optical aids to improve vision
  • Provides education to patients on eye health and proper eye care
  • Collaborates with other health care professionals to manage systemic diseases with ocular manifestations
  • Administers and prescribes therapeutic treatments and medications to treat eye diseases, superficial injuries and conditions
  • Performs minor surgical procedures such as removing foreign bodies from the eye

Common occupation titles

No alternative occupation titles are listed for this occupation.

Specialisations

No specialisations are listed for this occupation.

Skill level (education and experience level)

Skill level 1
equivalent to a university level qualification (Bachelor degree or higher).

Note: While skill levels are described using formal education levels, some people use a combination of informal learning, on-the-job training and personal experience to achieve an equivalent level.

Licensing or registration requirements

Registration or licensing is required.

OSCA structure

Employment

On this page

    Industries

    Top 10 most common industries, 2021

    Optometrist Total employment
    Industry Share of occupation Industry Share of occupation
    Health Care and Social Assistance 96.4% Health Care and Social Assistance 14.5%
    Financial and Insurance Services 0.8% Retail Trade 9.1%
    Education and Training 0.7% Construction 8.9%
    Retail Trade 0.4% Education and Training 8.8%
    Other Services 0.3% Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 7.8%
    Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 0.2% Public Administration and Safety 6.6%
    Wholesale Trade 0.2% Accommodation and Food Services 6.5%
    Manufacturing <0.1% Manufacturing 5.9%
    Accommodation and Food Services 0.0% Transport, Postal and Warehousing 4.5%
    Administrative and Support Services 0.0% Financial and Insurance Services 3.7%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    States and territories

    Employment distribution by states and territories, 2021

    • New South Wales

      32.3%

    • Victoria

      26.4%

    • Queensland

      21.6%

    • South Australia

      6.8%

    • Tasmania

      2.0%

    • Northern Territory

      0.7%

    • Australian Capital Territory

      1.7%

    Optometrist Total employment
    State / Territory Employment Share of occupation Employment Share of occupation
    New South Wales 1,700 32.3% 3,684,200 30.6%
    Victoria 1,400 26.4% 3,162,900 26.2%
    Queensland 1,100 21.6% 2,444,100 20.3%
    South Australia 360 6.8% 839,400 7.0%
    Western Australia 440 8.4% 1,306,200 10.8%
    Tasmania 100 2.0% 254,700 2.1%
    Northern Territory 40 0.7% 107,000 0.9%
    Australian Capital Territory 90 1.7% 248,600 2.1%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    Age and sex

    Employment distibution by age group and sex, 2021

    Optometrist

    Total employment

    Age group Optometrist Total employment
    15–24 years 7.1% 14.3%
    25–34 years 35.1% 22.7%
    35–44 years 20.5% 22.3%
    45–54 years 18.8% 20.4%
    55–64 years 14.4% 15.3%
    65–74 years 3.7% 4.3%
    75 years and over 0.2% 0.6%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.
    Sex Optometrist Total employment
    Female 57.4% 48.5%
    Male 42.6% 51.5%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    On this page

      OSCA occupation profiles data

      This file contains data available from the OSCA Occupation Profile page.

      Use of this data must include the relevant attribution text provided.

      OSCA Occupation data - 2021 Census.xlsx

      xlsx 1236447

      Download

      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA)

      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA) is the skill-based classification used to categorise occupations across the Australian labour market. OSCA is used to define occupations across all official occupational statistics. OSCA replaces the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).

      Each job is classified to one, and only one, group of jobs at each level of the classification with no overlaps. This prevents the accidental double-counting of roles within the Australian labour market. For more information about OSCA, visit the What is OSCA information page, or the ABS website.

      Find out more

      What is OSCA   OSCA content updates