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Optometry increasingly shoulders medical eye care as ophthalmology shrinks
Optometry increasingly shoulders medical eye care as ophthalmology shrinks
February 17, 2026
The surgical specialty faces an overall net decline in workforce as optometry grows parallel to ballooning demand for eye care services in the U.S.
Tag(s): Clinical Eye Care, Public Health, Diseases and Conditions
Key Takeaways
- A 2024 Ophthalmology workforce study first anticipated a 12% decline in FTE ophthalmologists by 2035, concurrent to a 24% increase in demand.
- The same study concluded that optometry was far better positioned to meet U.S. demand, similarly, established in the AOA’s own workforce study
- Ophthalmology faces a net loss of 126 physicians annually while optometry sees a net increase of 513 physicians annually.
- This decline coincides with optometry’s increasing share of both Medicare fee-for-service patients, as well as medical eye examinations.
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