Optometrists
Machines can already do 13% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 35%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Optometrists in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 13% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 0% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2040, and 35% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 42,790 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $136,570 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 92% for contact with people.
- Also called: Optometrist, Optometry Doctor (OD), Therapeutic Optometrist.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examine eyes, using observation, instruments, and pharmaceutical agents, to determine visual acuity and perception, focus, and coordination and to diagnose diseases and other abnormalities, such as glaucoma or color blindness | 43% | 3% to 25% | |
| Prescribe, supply, fit and adjust eyeglasses, contact lenses, and other vision aids | 16% | 3% to 25% | |
| Analyze test results and develop a treatment plan | 14% | 43% to 66% | |
| Educate and counsel patients on contact lens care, visual hygiene, lighting arrangements, and safety factors | 8% | 22% to 42% | |
| Provide patients undergoing eye surgeries, such as cataract and laser vision correction, with pre- and post-operative care | 5% | 3% to 25% | |
| Prescribe medications to treat eye diseases if state laws permit | 4% | 45% to 72% | |
| Consult with and refer patients to ophthalmologist or other health care practitioner if additional medical treatment is determined necessary | 3% | 18% to 36% | |
| Prescribe therapeutic procedures to correct or conserve vision | 3% | 45% to 72% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills optometrists use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons31% of tasks by 2035 · US median $352,220
- Dentists, General31% of tasks by 2035 · US median $170,950
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Optometrists?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2040. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of optometrists?
Machines can do 13% of the tasks of optometrists today and 35% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 29-1041.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Optometrists: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/optometrists/