Ophthalmologists treat disease of the eye medically and surgically, and cataract surgery is among the most commonly performed operations in the country. The work covers glaucoma, retinal disease, corneal disease and the ocular effects of diabetes and hypertension. It is microsurgery, done through a microscope in millimetres.

This guide covers careers in ophthalmology end to end, walking through all one accredited subspecialties, the years of training each one costs you, what the work earns and how competitive the path is.

Medical careers in ophthalmology

Every path below is a formal, ACGME-accredited subspecialty you enter through a fellowship after ophthalmology residency. Together they hold 5 physicians in training.

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

Physicians in training as of the 2024-2025 academic year, from the ACGME Data Resource Book. A larger number means a larger field, not an easier one.

Our full guides go deeper on several of these roles, covering ophthalmologist.

How long does ophthalmology training take?

All of the careers in ophthalmology on this page run through the same first eight years, and separate afterwards. Residency length is taken from the ACGME Data Resource Book for the 2024-2025 academic year.

1. Bachelor's degree, four years. Any major works, as long as you finish the medical school prerequisites and sit the MCAT.
2. Medical school, four years. Two years mostly preclinical, two years mostly in the hospital, with USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 along the way.
3. Ophthalmology residency, three years. An internship year, then three years of ophthalmology residency. Ophthalmology does not run through the main residency match; applications go through the San Francisco Match, a year earlier than most of your classmates apply.
4. Fellowship, one to three years. Optional, and the route into the subspecialties listed below.

That is eleven years from starting your bachelor's degree to practising independently, before any fellowship. How long medical school takes covers the middle four in detail.

How much do ophthalmologists earn?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median wage for ophthalmologists, except pediatric at $300,080 a year in 2025, across 8,950 people in the occupation.

Figures from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, national estimates, 2025. Wages at the top of the scale are reported as equal to or greater than $239,200 in some categories, so a published median can sit below what practising physicians in the field report.

Earnings across careers in ophthalmology swing more on setting and geography than on the specialty itself. Academic posts sit below private practice, and rural positions often sit above urban ones for the same work.

How competitive is ophthalmology?

Ophthalmology does not run through the NRMP Main Residency Match, so it does not appear in the national match tables the other specialties are measured by. Applications go through the San Francisco Match instead, and results come out earlier in the year.

The practical consequence is a compressed timeline. You are building your application, gathering letters and doing away rotations a full cycle ahead of classmates applying through the main match, which means the decision to pursue ophthalmology has to come earlier than most.

How careers in ophthalmology compare with the other specialties

Training length. Ophthalmology residency runs three years. Of the nineteen specialties on this site, three are shorter and six are the same length. The spread across all of them is two years to five.

Earnings. At $300,080, it ranks 7 of 13 on median wage among the specialties here with their own BLS occupation code. The highest is diagnostic radiology at $420,860.

Size of the field. BLS counts 8,950 people employed in the ophthalmologists, except pediatric category. A larger field means more posts advertised and more geographic choice about where you practise.

None of these numbers should pick a specialty for you. They are the constraints you are choosing inside, and the choice itself comes down to whether the day-to-day work holds your attention for thirty years.

Skills and requirements for ophthalmology

Where the work happens. Outpatient clinic and ambulatory surgery centres, with most operating done in short, high-volume lists.

Who it suits. People with fine motor control and patience for precision, who want surgery with same-day results and largely predictable hours.

How you get in. An internship year, then three years of ophthalmology residency. Ophthalmology does not run through the main residency match; applications go through the San Francisco Match, a year earlier than most of your classmates apply.

Before any of that, the requirements match every other route into medicine. You need a bachelor's degree, the prerequisite coursework, clinical and research experience, an MCAT score, and a complete medical school application.