Finding Your First Optometry Job: A Helpful Guide for ODs in Training

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Written by: Drew Caldwell | Founder of OjO Recruitment Agency

Updated 10/21/2026

Your First Optometry Job: A Practical Guide for New Grad ODs

You’ve spent years preparing to become an optometrist. Somewhere along the way, something moved you to pursue a career in this wonderful profession.

Perhaps you or someone in your family had an eye condition, and you experienced the life-changing difference a caring, capable optometrist could make. Maybe you loved physics and optics and became absolutely fascinated by how we see. Or perhaps you knew you wanted to work in healthcare, just not sure in what capacity, and shadowing an OD—or working as a technician—helped bring your career path into focus.

Whatever brought you here, you’ve invested a great deal of time and money—and endured more than a few sleepless nights—in becoming a doctor. Now you’re ready for another milestone: choosing your first optometry job and beginning to build the professional and personal life you’ve been working toward.

When we talk with fourth-year optometry students, one of the first questions we often hear is some version of this: “I know there are a lot of jobs out there, but how do I know which opportunities would be a good fit for me?”

It’s an understandable question. The job search can feel daunting, especially when you’re comparing practices and trying to imagine yourself working in each one. Job postings can describe the salary, schedule, and location, but understanding what it’s like to work there—and whether you and the team would be a good match—takes more conversation and a closer look.

You’re who this guide was written for. We want to give you a framework for asking good questions, comparing opportunities, and making wise career decisions.

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What New Grad Optometrists Tell Us They’re Looking For

When we talk with new graduate ODs, many of the same priorities come up.

They want to care for patients, be compensated well, grow in their abilities, and have a life outside the office. They want colleagues they can learn from and a practice where they’ll be respected as doctors while receiving support as they get started.

You may recognize your own priorities here.

What we often hear	What to explore with a practice
“I want a healthy work-life balance.”	The workweek, scheduling flexibility, documentation time, PTO, and expectations outside office hours.
“I want to be paid well.”	Base salary, realistic bonus opportunities, and the complete benefits package.
“I’d love help with student loans.”	Whether loan assistance is available, how it works, and any conditions attached.
“I’d prefer not to work nights or weekends.”	Evening hours, Saturdays, call coverage, and other after-hours responsibilities.
“I want a great mentor.”	Who will help you, how available they’ll be, and when you’ll discuss cases together.
“I want a collegial, collaborative group.”	How doctors share knowledge, work with staff, and support one another during busy days.
“I want to feel respected and valued.”	How ODs participate in clinical decisions and whether their ideas and contributions are welcomed.
“I want support as a new doctor.”	Onboarding, technician support, a gradual increase in patient volume, and regular check-ins.

These are reasonable things to care about. The next step is figuring out which matter most to you—and learning how each practice would meet them.

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Give Yourself Time to Explore Your Options and Discover What Matters Most

It’s easier to recognize a promising opportunity when you’ve had a chance to see what else is available. If you’re considering only one position, you have little to compare it with. Exploring four or five roles can help you understand the differences between practices—and discover what matters most to you in your first job out of training.

Conversations with different practices give you something concrete to consider: the people you would work with, the patients you would care for, different patient care philosophies, the support available, and the life you could build in that community.

You might begin with a particular city in mind and discover a practice nearby with a doctor you would love to learn from. You might assume you want one type of setting, then meet a team whose approach to care makes you reconsider what you’d enjoy. Or, after interviewing with several groups, you may confirm that being close to family really is your first priority.

That’s part of the soul-searching involved in choosing your first job. You’re not just learning about jobs, you’re learning about yourself, too. What you want may not be entirely clear when you begin your search. As you compare opportunities, you start to understand which details carry the most weight for you.

Starting early gives you room for those discoveries. It also gives you time to learn about compensation and contracts, prepare for interviews, visit practices, and consider offers without feeling pressured to accept a position simply because graduation is approaching and time feels short.

Begin with a few conversations. Ask questions. Pay attention to what intrigues you and what gives you pause. After each conversation or visit, jot down what you liked, what concerned you, and what you still need to understand.

Over time, those observations can help you recognize the opportunities you want to pursue. now.

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Begin With the Life and Clinical Work You Want

For many new ODs, the search naturally starts with location, location, location.

That makes sense. Your partner’s career, family relationships, and the community you hope to call home are meaningful parts of the decision.

Alongside “Where do I want to live?” consider another question:

What kind of work would I enjoy, and what kind of people do I want to spend my days with?

Consider:

• Which patients and clinical experiences have you enjoyed most during training?
• Would you like comprehensive care, a strong medical emphasis, specialty services, or a combination?
• Are there areas you’d like to develop, such as ocular disease, specialty contact lenses, dry eye, or pediatrics?
• How much collaboration would you like with other doctors?
• What schedule would work well for your life outside the office?
• Is eventual ownership something you’d like to explore?

Think about which preferences are essential and where you have some flexibility. Being near your partner’s job or aging parents may be a necessity. You might be willing to consider a longer commute for exceptional mentoring—or a different schedule for a team you’re excited to join.

Knowing your priorities helps you articulate what you’re looking for. Staying curious and open-minded gives an opportunity room to surprise you.

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Look Closely at the People You’ll Work With

In a full-time role, you may spend roughly 1,920 to 2,000 hours a year with the team at the practice you join. That’s a significant amount of your life—and a good reason to get to know the people before accepting an offer.

Make the most of opportunities to spend time with the doctors and staff. Ask good questions during interviews and arrange to observe clinic so you can experience the culture firsthand.

Watch how people treat one another. Do doctors listen to staff? Are questions welcomed? Does the office feel organized? How does the team respond when the day gets busy?

If possible, speak with an OD who already works there. A former optometrist from the practice may offer a useful perspective, too.

You might ask:

• “What do you enjoy most about working here?”
• “What was it like getting started?”
• “When you need help, who do you turn to?”
• “What would you want a new doctor to understand before joining?”

Practice owners can share their vision for the position and what they hope you’ll contribute. Doctors and staff can help you understand the nuances of working there, including details that may not come up in a formal interview.

Pay attention to whether you feel comfortable being yourself. Can you ask an honest question? Can you imagine discussing a difficult case or admitting that you need help?

Those everyday interactions deserve a place in your decision.

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Ask What Mentorship Actually Looks Like

“A good coach can change a game, a great coach can change a life.”
— John Wooden

Finding a good mentor is one of the highest priorities new graduate ODs share with us when evaluating an opportunity. An experienced doctor who makes you feel comfortable asking questions and is genuinely excited about teaching, sharing knowledge, and helping you succeed can have a lasting influence on your career.

Because that relationship matters so much, take time to get to know your potential mentor and understand how you would work together. When a practice says, “We offer mentorship,” ask them to describe what that looks like during a typical week.

For one practice, mentorship may mean another doctor is available between patients. For another, it may include scheduled case discussions, shared clinic time, monthly lunches, or regular check-ins.

Find out what you can expect:

• Who would be my main resource for clinical questions?
• Will that doctor be working at the same location?
• If I’m the only doctor in the office, how would I get help?
• Will we have time set aside to discuss cases?
• Have you helped other new graduates transition into practice?
• How do you adjust support as a new doctor becomes more comfortable?

One especially useful question is simple:

“Are you comfortable with me asking questions as I get started?”

Listen to both the answer and the way it’s given.

You’ve worked hard to earn your degree, and you bring real clinical knowledge. You’ll also encounter situations where a more experienced colleague’s perspective is valuable. Being able to talk through those cases with someone who enjoys helping you learn can make those early months more rewarding—and help you grow into a more confident, capable doctor.

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Understand What Your Day Will Look Like

Understanding how busy you’ll be is important, but a patient-volume range tells you only part of the story. The types of visits, complexity of the cases, and support available all affect how manageable your day will feel.

Ask about appointment lengths, technician and scribe support, pretesting, and documentation. Find out how these pieces work together during a typical clinic day.

Start with these questions:

• What would my schedule look like during the first few months?
• How would it change over time?
• How much time is scheduled for different types of appointments?
• What work do technicians complete before I see the patient?
• Will I have scribe support?
• Who handles testing, contact lens training, and other patient needs?
• Do doctors generally finish documentation during office hours, or does it carry into evenings?
• How will we decide when I’m ready for a fuller schedule?

Ask about locations, too. How many offices would you cover? How often would you travel between them? Would staffing and equipment be similar at each location?

These conversations will help you understand what your workday would look like and whether the practice has a workable plan for helping you become comfortable, efficient, and successful.

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Learn Why the Practice Is Hiring

In our experience, new graduates sometimes overlook a simple but important question: Why is this position available?

A practice may be growing, preparing for a retirement, expanding a service, or replacing a departing doctor. Understanding the reason helps you ask better follow-up questions and picture where you would fit.

You can ask:

“Why is your group looking to add an optometrist right now, and what are you hoping this person will contribute?”

Then explore the details:

• Would I be taking over an established patient schedule or building a new one?
• If a doctor is leaving, will there be time for a transition?
• If this is a new position, how will patients be introduced to me?
• How long have your current ODs been with the practice?
• If an OD recently left, what led to their departure?

You can also ask what the practice hopes to accomplish over the next few years and how your role would fit into those plans.

Understanding why they’re hiring helps you see what they need—and whether the opportunity offers what matters most to you.

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Bring Your Value to the Interview

It’s natural to arrive with questions about salary, benefits, mentorship, and schedule. These are important parts of the decision, and you should feel comfortable discussing them.

As you learn about the opportunity, help the practice get to know you, too. The doctors you meet are imagining you as a colleague, working alongside their staff and caring for their patients.

In our article, “New Grad ODs: Want to Land Your Dream Optometry Job? Lead With the Value You’ll Bring,” we explore how to communicate what you can contribute to a practice. That begins with sharing your experiences, interests, and approach to patient care.

Talk about a clinical experience that mattered to you. Share what you enjoyed during a rotation, how you responded to feedback, or a time you helped a patient feel more comfortable.

If you’re interested in developing a particular skill, explain why. If you take pride in being dependable and prepared, offer an example.

You don’t have to present yourself as a finished product. You already bring a clinical foundation, care for patients, a willingness to learn, and the effort you’ll put into becoming a valued member of the team. Give the practice a chance to see those qualities.

A useful question for the employer is:

“When you think about the ODs who have done especially well here, what do they have in common?”

Their answer can tell you a great deal about what the practice values—and whether it sounds like a place where you would enjoy contributing.

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Compare Compensation in the Context of the Job

Ready to talk salary? It’s one of the subjects new graduate ODs can’t wait to discuss with us—and understandably so. You’ve invested years in your education, you may have sizable student loans debt, and you’re eager to have a life to build. You want an offer that reflects the market and the work you’ll be doing.

In our work with new graduate ODs, we often see base salaries in the $135,000–$170,000 range, with some opportunities offering more, including starting salaries of $200,000.

Those figures reflect opportunities OjO encounters. Location, days worked, clinical responsibilities, and other details affect how an offer compares.

When comparing offers, look at:

• Days and hours worked
• Evening or weekend responsibilities
• Call responsibilites
• Patient volume and clinical duties
• Travel between offices
• Base salary and how long it is guaranteed
• Production or performance bonus structures
• Student loan repayment assistance
• Signing bonuses and relocation assistance
• Health insurance and retirement benefits
• Paid time off and holidays
• Continuing education funds and time
• Malpractice coverage and professional fees

Ask the practice to walk you through its bonus structure using a realistic example. Find out what you would need to produce to earn a bonus, how it would be calculated, and when you would receive it.

It’s also reasonable to ask what ODs in comparable roles have typically earned and when a new doctor might realistically begin earning a bonus.

Then consider the offer as a whole. How well does the compensation fit the workload? How much support will you have? Does the schedule give you time for the people and activities that matter to you?

A salary deserves careful consideration alongside the life you’ll be living while you earn it.

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Approach Compensation and Negotiation as a Conversation

At some point during an interview, you’ll probably hear: “What are you looking for in terms of compensation, bonuses, and benefits?”

That can be a difficult question when you’re still learning what’s available. Prepare by considering the complete package, understanding the responsibilities, and identifying what matters most to you.

Our article, “What Are You Looking for in Terms of Compensation, Bonuses, and Benefits?”, offers guidance on preparing for that conversation.

Once you receive an offer, you can be excited about the opportunity and still ask whether there’s room to adjust a few details.

Begin with what you appreciate, followed by a clear request and the reason behind it.

For example:

“I’ve really enjoyed getting to know your team. I love that you’re a private OD/MD group with a strong reputation for quality care in the community. I think Dr. Jones would be a wonderful mentor, and the clinical work and support you’ve described are a strong match for what I’m looking for.

I do have a question about compensation. Some of the other offers I’m considering have significantly higher guaranteed base salaries. Taking into account the responsibilities and hours we’ve discussed, is there any flexibility in your guaranteed base?”

Or:

“Being able to visit family is important to me. Is there any flexibility in the PTO allowance?”

Depending on the practice, there may be room to discuss salary, a signing bonus, student loan assistance, relocation, CE support, time off, or schedule.

Focus on the things that would make the greatest difference to you. Be specific, explain your reasoning, and give the practice a chance to respond.

Pay attention to how you work through the conversation together. Can you ask questions comfortably? Does the practice explain its position clearly and treat your requests respectfully? You’re continuing to learn about the people you may soon work alongside.

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Make Sure You Understand the Written Agreement

Before accepting, take time to understand the agreement and resolve any differences between the written offer and your conversations.

You should be clear about your compensation, schedule, responsibilities, locations, benefits, and start date. Ask for an explanation of anything you don’t understand, including any conditions attached to bonuses or relocation assistance.

Allow time for an attorney familiar with optometrist employment agreements to review the document with you.

You want to begin your new role with a shared understanding of what you and the practice have agreed to.

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Give Yourself Room to Choose

As you compare opportunities, you may find yourself pulled in several directions.

One practice offers a higher salary. Another puts you closer to home. A third has a doctor you would love to learn from.

Come back to the priorities you identified at the beginning—and consider whether meeting these practices has changed them.

Ask yourself:

• Do I understand what will be expected of me?
• Am I comfortable with the support available?
• Do I like and trust the people I’ve met?
• Does the clinical work interest me?
• Can I see a satisfying life here, both inside and outside the office?
• What questions am I still trying to talk myself out of asking?

If something is unresolved, have the conversation.

And if an opportunity surprises you in a good way, explore it further. Sometimes meeting the people changes what you thought you were looking for.

Your first job can give you a strong foundation while you continue discovering where you want your career to go.

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How OjO Recruitment Helps New Grad ODs Find Jobs

You don’t have to work through all of these questions on your own.

At OjO, much of our work begins with a conversation. What did you enjoy most during training? Where would you like to live? What are you excited about—and what concerns you about getting started?

We take time to get to know you so we can help you explore opportunities that make sense for your goals and your life.

Since 2009, we’ve helped optometrists connect with practices across the country. Along the way, we’ve also helped doctors prepare for interviews, understand compensation, compare offers, and sort through difficult decisions.

Sometimes it helps to have an experienced sounding board. You can ask us whether an offer seems competitive, how to bring up a concern, or what questions you might still need to ask. If we think an opportunity may fall short of what you’re looking for, we’ll tell you and explain why.

We want you to feel comfortable asking questions, taking time to consider your options, and being honest about what matters to you. That gives us the best chance of helping you find a place where you’ll enjoy working and have room to grow.

Our services are free and confidential for optometrists.

Whether you’re ready to explore opportunities or simply wondering where to begin, we’d love to get to know you.fe.

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More Career Resources for Young Optometrists

Choosing the right optometry position involves much more than comparing salaries. These optometry career resources are designed to help optometrists better understand compensation models, production bonuses, private practice versus corporate optometry, OD/MD practice settings, interview questions, and long-term career growth so they can make informed, confident career decisions.

A practical overview of current optometry compensation trends, including base salary ranges, production bonuses, PTO, benefits, and what we’re seeing in today’s job market across private practice, OD/MD groups, and corporate optometry.

How to Find the Right Optometry Job (Not Just Any Job). AKA “Cheez-Its & Choices.” 

With so many opportunities available, it can be difficult to know which position is truly the right fit. This article helps optometrists think through career decisions with greater clarity, perspective, and long-term focus.

Your First Optometry Job: Insightful Guidance for New ODs Entering the Profession. 

Thoughtful guidance for optometrists transitioning from training into practice, including advice on mentorship, compensation, patient volume, practice culture, and building a strong foundation early in your career.

5 Questions Every Optometrist in Training Should Ask Before Accepting a First Job Offer.

A helpful framework for evaluating optometry opportunities beyond just salary. These questions can help young ODs better understand mentorship, clinical expectations, growth opportunities, workflow, and long-term fit.

Why More Ophthalmology Practices Are Hiring Medical Optometrists. 

An overview of the growing role of medical optometrists within ophthalmology and OD/MD practices, including why demand continues to increase and how these positions often differ from traditional optometry settings.

“What are you looking for in terms of compensation, bonuses and benefits?” 

Many optometrists feel unsure how to answer compensation questions during interviews. This article offers practical guidance on discussing salary, bonuses, PTO, and benefits professionally and confidently.

New Grad O.D.s -Want to Land Your Dream Optometry Job? Lead with the Value You’ll Bring, Not Just Questions About Pay. 

A reminder that the strongest candidates focus not only on compensation, but also on the value, work ethic, attitude, and patient care they bring to a practice. Helpful perspective for interviews and early career conversations.

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Ready to Explore New Grad Optometrist Jobs?

“Just as you find joy and purpose in changing patients’ lives through better vision, we find fulfillment in helping you discover the right career opportunity with a supportive, exceptional team. As personable, nationally connected experts in optometry recruitment, our goal is to help you find the role you’ve been looking for. One thing we hear time and again from candidates is how much they value our consultative, educational approach—no pressure, just thoughtful guidance. We believe you’ll like that too.”
– Drew Caldwell, Founder

Browse current optometry openings here:
https://ojorecruiting.com/job-center/

Email us anytime at:
info@ojorecruiting.com

OjO is one of the nation’s most established eye care recruitment services.  We’ve been helping ophthalmologists and optometrists find great jobs and partnership positions with practices nationwide for 17 years. We’d love to help you too!