Occupation salary profile

Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric

SOC 29-1241 BLS OEWS May 2025 H-1B LCAs, last 12 months

Diagnose and perform surgery to treat and help prevent disorders and diseases of the eye. May also provide vision services for treatment including glasses and contacts. Excludes “Optometrists” (29-1041) and “Pediatric Surgeons” (29-1243).

National median · BLS
$300,080
All U.S. workers
H-1B sponsor median
$286,255
▲ +27.22% YoY · 32 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$304,650
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
8,950
Jobs (BLS)
Highest-paying state (cost-adjusted) Loading…
Most jobs Loading…
Highest-paying metro (cost-adjusted) Loading…

Check your salary

Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 32 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS) H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay$100,180$70,094
25th$173,650$176,250
Median (50th)$300,080$286,255
75th$421,530$392,500
90th — top pay$489,710$431,500
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $286,255 for Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric — 4.6% below the BLS national median of $300,080.

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

Type in either box; the other updates instantly.

Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric

BLS projects employment of ophthalmologists, except pediatric to grow 4.5% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 200 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
9,700 → 10,200
+400 jobs
Projected change
+4.5%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
200
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Doctoral or professional degree
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Internship/residency
Self-employed
5.7% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 5)
Extensive Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a doctoral or professional degree →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

H-1B sponsored pay

Pay by H-1B wage level

Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.

H-1B median $286,255
Change vs prior year +27.22%
After inflation (CPI-U) +23.36%
Wage level LCAs Share P25 Median P75
Level I 14 43.8% $87,436 $240,500 $328,128
Skills & tools

Skills needed for Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Critical Thinking4.3
  • Reading Comprehension4.3
  • Active Listening4.1
  • Active Learning4.0
  • Complex Problem Solving4.0
  • Judgment and Decision Making4.0
  • Monitoring4.0
  • Social Perceptiveness4.0
  • Speaking4.0
  • Writing4.0
Top knowledge areas
  • Medicine and Dentistry4.5
  • English Language4.4
  • Customer and Personal Service4.1
  • Biology3.8
  • Administration and Management3.6
  • Education and Training3.5
  • Mathematics3.3
  • Computers and Electronics3.1
Software and technology used
eClinicalWorks EHR softwareEpic SystemsMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft WordAllscripts PMathenahealth athenaCollectorAutomatic Data Processing AdvancedMD EHRBenchmark Systems Benchmark Clinical EHRBizmatics PrognoCIS EMRCareCloud CentralCerner PowerWorks Practice ManagementEmail softwareEpic Practice ManagementEyeMD EMR Healthcare Systems EyeMD EMRGalacTek ECLIPSEGE Healthcare Centricity Practice SolutionGreenway Medical Technologies PrimeSUITEHealthFusion MediTouch

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What ophthalmologists, except pediatric do

  • Perform comprehensive examinations of the visual system to determine the nature or extent of ocular disorders.
  • Diagnose or treat injuries, disorders, or diseases of the eye and eye structures including the cornea, sclera, conjunctiva, or eyelids.
  • Provide or direct the provision of postoperative care.
  • Develop or implement plans and procedures for ophthalmologic services.
  • Prescribe or administer topical or systemic medications to treat ophthalmic conditions and to manage pain.
  • Develop treatment plans based on patients' histories and goals, the nature and severity of disorders, and treatment risks and benefits.
  • Perform ophthalmic surgeries such as cataract, glaucoma, refractive, corneal, vitro-retinal, eye muscle, or oculoplastic surgeries.
  • Educate patients about maintenance and promotion of healthy vision.
Also called
Glaucoma SpecialistOphthalmologistPhysicianRetina SpecialistClinical OphthalmologistCornea SpecialistOculoplastic SpecialistOphthalmic SurgeonOphthalmologist SpecialistSurgical Ophthalmologist
More job titles for this occupation (6)
Cornea and External Disease PhysicianMedical Doctor (MD)Neuro-OphthalmologistOphthalmology PhysicianRefractive SurgeonVitreoretinal Disease Physician

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.