The trend toward group practice is increasing and helps to provide better coverage of patients during holidays and vacation periods. Most full-time optometrists work about 40 hours a week, but a substantial number work more than 50 hours a week. Many in group practices rotate their time to work Saturdays and evenings to suit the needs of patients, but emergency calls are rare. Industry sources believe that men and women earn the same salaries for the same work, due to the fact that eye examinations are billed to and paid by the B.C. Medical Services Plan. One reason for the different outcomes in annual earnings may be that more men are owner-operators and that they generate additional income based on other services and sales.
Incomes vary depending upon location, specialization and other factors.
An experienced optometrist can earn substantially more. It should be noted that these salary figures from industry sources include owner-operator earnings, out of which overhead and employee salaries must be paid. Salaried optometrists tend to earn more initially than those who set up their own independent practice. However, by the end of their fifth year in practice, those in private practice generally earn more. This is a very small occupational group, with 320 people employed in 1998, up from 210 in 1990.