What the letters mean
Four years of optometry school after a bachelor's degree, then national board examinations and a state licence. An OD prescribes glasses, contact lenses and medication for the eye, and manages eye disease medically.
An MD or DO in ophthalmology is the surgical profession of the eye. Some states allow optometrists defined laser or minor procedures and others do not, so where the line falls is a state question rather than a credential one.
Optometrists on the public record
Counted from what providers file about themselves, with suppression applied before anything is counted, refreshed 2026-10-05. Names, specialties and practice locations are public; work email and phone are for signed-in customers.
| State | On record | With work email | With practice phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 12,040 | 8,528 71% | 12,040 |
| Texas | 8,308 | 5,085 61% | 8,306 |
| Florida | 6,260 | 3,655 58% | 6,259 |
| New York | 5,679 | 3,656 64% | 5,679 |
| Illinois | 4,251 | 2,728 64% | 4,249 |
| Pennsylvania | 4,055 | 2,699 67% | 4,054 |
| Ohio | 3,853 | 2,503 65% | 3,853 |
| Michigan | 3,271 | 1,993 61% | 3,271 |
Closely related, and where to find them.
Closely related
- Optometrist An independently licensed eye doctor, with scope set state by state.
- Ophthalmologist The surgical eye profession, and how it works alongside optometry.
Find them
- Optometrists list counts by state, the fields a record carries, a sample record.
- Eye care optometrists and ophthalmologists, the two halves of eye care in one search.
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