Audiologists vs Optometrists: $96K vs $137K Median Pay

Audiologists vs Optometrists: what changes?

Consider Audiologists if you want to assess and treat persons with hearing and related disorders. Consider Optometrists if you would rather diagnose, manage, and treat conditions and diseases of the human eye and visual system. Both list doctoral or professional degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Audiologists and Optometrists. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Audiologists

National median pay (2025): $95,780
Route into the job: Doctoral or professional degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Maintain patient records at all stages, including initial and subsequent evaluation and treatment activities.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 600

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (14,200 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Audiologists brief

Optometrists

National median pay (2025): $136,570
Route into the job: Doctoral or professional degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: 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.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 2,000

Know before you choose

The work routinely happens in close physical proximity to other people; personal space is limited.

See the full Optometrists brief

How the national numbers differ

Optometrists has the edge on annual openings

Optometrists is at 2,000 annual openings, compared with 600 annual openings for Audiologists.

Optometrists has the edge on median pay

Optometrists is at $136,570, compared with $95,780 for Audiologists.

Audiologists has the edge on projected growth

Audiologists is at 11% projected growth, compared with 9.5% projected growth for Optometrists.

51.7/ 100

Audiologists

61.7/ 100

Optometrists

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence