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What eye care pays, who to hire, and how long it takes. From the recruiter who sees the offers.
Compensation data, hiring guides and contract advice for ophthalmology and optometry practices and the surgeons, ODs, technicians and coordinators they hire. Written by Paul Stubenbordt, sourced, and updated as the market moves.
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Six guides for 2026
Every figure is sourced. Every guide ends with what it means for an offer, a hire or a contract.
Ophthalmologist Salary in 2026: What Surgeons Earn by Subspecialty, Setting and Experience
Two 2026 datasets put median ophthalmologist pay between $500K and $670K. Here is how that breaks down by subspecialty, practice setting and years in practice, and how to read an offer against it.
October 27, 2026 · 9 min read
How Much Do Optometrists Make in 2026? Salary by Practice Setting, From Corporate to MD/OD
The BLS median is $134,830; practitioner surveys say closer to $160,000; owners net far more. Where an OD works explains most of the gap. Setting-by-setting pay and what a competitive associate offer looks like.
October 20, 2026 · 8 min read
Ophthalmic Technician Salary in 2026: What COA, COT and COMT Certification Actually Pays
The BLS median for ophthalmic medical technicians is $45,570, but certification changes everything: COTs average $67,600 and COMTs $80,300 in IJCAHPO data. What each credential pays, where techs earn most, and how to build a pay scale that keeps them.
October 13, 2026 · 8 min read
How to Hire a Refractive Surgery Coordinator: The Job, the Interview Questions and the Scorecard
The coordinator is the highest-leverage non-clinical hire in a refractive or cataract practice. What the role actually does, how to pay it, the interview questions that work, and a scorecard.
October 6, 2026 · 10 min read
Reading an Ophthalmology Employment Contract: Non-Competes, Tail Coverage and the Partnership Track
The guarantee is the least important number in the contract. The compensation formula, the non-compete (and which state you are in), who pays tail coverage, and whether the partnership track is real are what decide the next decade. A clause-by-clause guide.
September 29, 2026 · 11 min read
How Long Does It Take to Recruit an Ophthalmologist in 2026? Realistic Timelines and How to Shorten Them
The national physician time-to-fill is about 118 days. Ophthalmology is slower: six to eighteen months from engagement to first clinic day is realistic. Why, what the vacancy costs, and the five things that shorten it.
September 22, 2026 · 9 min readEye care only
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