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Orthoptists

Occupation · SOC 29-1299.02

Diagnose and treat visual system disorders such as binocular vision and eye movement impairments.

Also called: Certified Orthoptist · Clinical Orthoptist (CO) · Orthoptist

Job family: Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations

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AI work map

A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.

59th-percentile task overlap — yet about 2,400 openings a year (+2% projected, BLS) . What exposure means →

AI & job outlook

What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.

Exposure to current AI

Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.

Measure Rank vs all occupations Percentile Score
LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) High 75th 0.9
AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) Moderate 44th 0.1

OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.2), with simple added tooling (β 0.5), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.9). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.

How AI is actually used in this job

Among measured AI assistant conversations mapped to this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15), these task types came up most. These are shares of observed AI conversations — not shares of the job, of worker time, or of what could be automated.

Interpret clinical or diagnostic test results. 1.1%
Prepare diagnostic or treatment reports for other medical practitioners or therapists. 1.0%

Job outlook

Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.

Outlook About average · +2.0% by 2034
Projected annual openings 2,400
Employment 2024 → 2034 41,300 → 42,200

“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.

Tasks

All 16 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.

Work activities

Knowledge, skills & abilities

O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).

Knowledge

Medicine and Dentistry 4.2
English Language 4.2
Customer and Personal Service 3.7
Education and Training 3.7
Psychology 3.4
Biology 3.2

Essential skills

Active Listening 4.0
Critical Thinking 4.0
Speaking 3.9
Reading Comprehension 3.6
Science 3.6
Writing 3.5
Active Learning 3.3
Learning Strategies 3.3
Monitoring 3.1

Abilities

Oral Comprehension 4.0
Written Comprehension 4.0
Oral Expression 4.0
Written Expression 4.0
Problem Sensitivity 4.0
Deductive Reasoning 4.0
Inductive Reasoning 4.0
Speech Recognition 3.8
Speech Clarity 3.8
Near Vision 3.6
Fluency of Ideas 3.1
Flexibility of Closure 3.1
Perceptual Speed 3.1
Originality 3.0
Information Ordering 3.0
Category Flexibility 3.0

Transferable skills

Social Perceptiveness 3.8
Service Orientation 3.4
Complex Problem Solving 3.4
Judgment and Decision Making 3.4
Instructing 3.3
Systems Analysis 3.1
Systems Evaluation 3.1
Coordination 3.0
Time Management 3.0

Skills in demand

Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.

Tools & technology

Example Category
Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet software Hot technology
Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation software Hot technology
Microsoft Word Word processing software Hot technology
Computer Aided Vision Therapy CAVT Medical software
Computer perceptual processing software Computer based training software
Email software Electronic mail software
Eye Tracking Exercises Enterprises Track with Letters Eye tracking software
HTS Vision CVS2 Eye tracking software
HTS Vision HTS2 Computerized Binocular Home Eye Exercise System Eye tracking software
MAX Systems Max-Gold Medical Clinic Software Medical software
SeeRite Flash and Match Computer based training software
Therapeutic orthoptic software Medical software

Work context

How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.

Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams 5.0
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled 4.8
Contact With Others 4.8
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team 4.6
E-Mail 4.6
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate 4.6
Telephone Conversations 4.5
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls 4.4
Physical Proximity 4.3
Exposed to Disease or Infections 4.2
Deal With External Customers or the Public in General 4.2
Freedom to Make Decisions 4.1
Frequency of Decision Making 4.0
Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals 4.0
Written Letters and Memos 3.9
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results 3.8
Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities 3.7
Spend Time Sitting 3.6
Time Pressure 3.6
Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People 3.5
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks 3.4
Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable 3.3
Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions 3.2
Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers 3.0
Health and Safety of Other Workers 2.9
Level of Competition 2.8
Consequence of Error 2.7
Conflict Situations 2.7
Spend Time Standing 2.5
Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body 2.4
Spend Time Walking or Running 2.3
Public Speaking 2.1
Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling 1.9
Dealing with Violent or Physically Aggressive People 1.8
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets 1.8
Exposed to Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting Conditions 1.6
Exposed to Contaminants 1.5
Degree of Automation 1.5
Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions 1.4
Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings 1.4

How to get in

Job zone
Zone 5 — Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Education
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).
Typical entry-level education
Master's degree · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement
Related experience
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Preparation level
SVP (8.0 and above) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.

What to study: Health Professions and Related Programs . Fields of study crosswalked to this occupation (NCES CIP–SOC), not a requirement.

Education of current workers

Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate 78.6%
Bachelor's Degree 7.1%
First Professional Degree 7.1%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) 3.6%
Master's Degree 3.6%

Interests & work styles

The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.

Interest areas

Health Care Service 6.4
Medical Science 4.6
Teaching/Education 3.4
Life Science 3.1
Social Service 2.5
Personal Service 2.2
Social Science 2.1

Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)

Investigative 5.7
Realistic 4.9
Social 4.8
Conventional 3.8

Work styles

Dependability 5.0
Attention to Detail 4.0
Cautiousness 3.0
Cooperation 2.2
Empathy 2.0

Wages & employment

U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)

$65k10th$83k25th$114kMedian$161k75th$194k90th
Annual wages by percentile — U.S. (BLS OEWS). The light band spans the 10th–90th percentile; the darker band is the middle half (25th–75th); the line is the median.
41k202442k2034 (proj.)+2.0% · About average
Projected U.S. employment, 2024–2034 (BLS Employment Projections). A labor-market forecast for the occupation, not an AI-impact forecast.
10th percentile $65,210
25th percentile $83,350
Median (50th) $113,730
75th percentile $161,350
90th percentile $194,000
People employed 30,870

Wages and employment are reported by BLS for the broader occupation group this specialty belongs to (SOC 29-1299), not for the specialty alone.

Industries that employ this occupation

Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.

Industry Workers National median pay
Educational Services · Sector 1,010 $78,630
Finance and Insurance · Sector 130 $111,260
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector 100 $67,000
Management of Companies and Enterprises · Sector 90 $90,250
Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers · National industry 70 $119,940
Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers · National industry 60 —
Manufacturing · Sector 40 $105,930
Wholesale Trade · Sector 30 $134,830
Retail Trade · Sector — $79,720
Pharmacies and Drug Retailers · National industry — $86,290
Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities · National industry — $37,460
Other Services (except Public Administration) · Sector — $73,030

Where this work is most concentrated

Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).

Industry Concentration Workers
Educational Services · Sector 0.37× 1,010
Finance and Insurance · Sector 0.1× 130
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector 0.06× 100

Part of the Healthcare & Human Services career cluster.

Exposure quadrant: AI task-overlap percentile vs Median pay Orthoptists sits at the 59th percentile of AI task-overlap and the 90th percentile of median pay, placed here against 4 adjacent occupations on the same two axes. Lower overlap · higher pay Higher overlap · higher pay Higher overlap · lower pay Lower overlap · lower pay Orthoptists Physician Assistants Family Medicine Physicians AI task-overlap percentile → ↑ Median pay
AI task-overlap percentile (horizontal) vs. median-pay percentile (vertical), across all scored occupations. This occupation is highlighted; related occupations are plotted alongside it. Overlap measures shared tasks with AI, not automation.

Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.

What you can do with this

Options the data surfaces for Orthoptists — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.

Skills that travel

Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.

Adjacent roles

Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.

Paths in

How people typically prepare for this work.

Zoom out

See where this work sits in the bigger picture.

Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation

Orthoptists show 59th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 2,400 annual U.S. openings

  • Orthoptists rank in the 59th percentile (Moderate band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated.Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE
  • The occupation is projected to see about 2,400 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
  • BLS projects employment to be about average (+2%) from 2024 to 2034.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
  • Median annual pay is $113,730, across about 30,870 U.S. workers.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
Copy the whole kit
Orthoptists show 59th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 2,400 annual U.S. openings

• Orthoptists rank in the 59th percentile (Moderate band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE)
• The occupation is projected to see about 2,400 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34)
• BLS projects employment to be about average (+2%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34)
• Median annual pay is $113,730, across about 30,870 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024))

Source: Singulariki — "Orthoptists". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-29-1299-02
Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.

AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom

Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

Cite this page
Plain

Singulariki. "Orthoptists." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-29-1299-02

APA

Singulariki. (2026). Orthoptists. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-29-1299-02

BibTeX 
@misc{singulariki-role-29-1299-02,
  title  = {Orthoptists},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-29-1299-02}
}

Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.

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