Pediatric Optometrist

OptometristFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the pay range, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 3mo ago

Job Description

We are seeking a compassionate, motivated, and clinically driven Pediatric Optometrist to join our fast-paced, dynamic, innovative practice within a hospital-based outpatient clinic. This position offers the opportunity to work collaboratively with pediatric ophthalmologists, subspecialists, and other healthcare professionals while caring for a diverse pediatric population with complex visual and medical needs.

The ideal candidate is passionate about pediatric eye care, medically necessary contact lenses, community outreach, and advancing access to vision services through innovative programs including school-based vision centers and clinical research initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

  • Provide comprehensive pediatric eye examinations for infants, children, and adolescents
  • Diagnose and manage refractive, binocular vision, and ocular health conditions
  • Collaborate closely with pediatric ophthalmologists in a co-managed OD/MD clinical environment
  • Fit and manage specialty medically necessary contact lenses, including:
  • Keratoconus
  • Aphakia
  • Irregular corneas
  • Myopia management
  • Scleral lenses
  • Participate in hospital-affiliated school-based vision center programs and community outreach initiatives
  • Contribute to interdisciplinary patient care conferences and educational initiatives
  • Participate in clinical research opportunities and quality improvement projects
  • Educate patients and families regarding diagnosis, treatment plans, and preventative eye care

Qualifications

Required

  • Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree from an accredited institution
  • Eligibility for state optometry licensure
  • Experience or strong interest in pediatric optometry
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  • Ability to thrive in a collaborative, team-oriented environment

Preferred

  • Residency training in Pediatric Optometry, Ocular Disease, or related specialty
  • Experience in medically necessary contact lens fitting
  • Experience working within an OD/MD model
  • Interest in research, teaching, or community outreach
  • Experience with underserved or medically complex pediatric populations

What We Offer

  • Collaborative hospital-based practice environment
  • Exposure to complex pediatric and medically-based eye care
  • Established referral network and multidisciplinary support
  • Opportunities for research participation and academic collaboration
  • Involvement in innovative school-based vision programs
  • Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits package
  • Continuing education and professional development support

Why Join Nationwide Children’S Hospital

  • Consistently ranked among America’s top pediatric hospitals by U.S. News & World Report
  • One of the nation’s largest freestanding pediatric healthcare systems
  • Nationally recognized for excellence in pediatric subspecialty care, research, education, and advocacy
  • Robust clinical research infrastructure with opportunities to participate in investigator-initiated and multidisciplinary research
  • Leader in community outreach and health equity initiatives, including innovative school-based vision and healthcare programs
  • State-of-the-art outpatient and specialty care facilities designed to support multidisciplinary pediatric care
  • Strong culture of collaboration, mentorship, innovation, and physician engagement
  • Competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and support for continuing medical education and professional growth
  • Located in Columbus, one of the fastest-growing and most family-friendly metropolitan areas in the United States

Job Description Summary

Conducts eye exams, diagnoses vision problems, and prescribes corrective lenses or medications as needed.

Job Description

Essential Functions

  • Conducts eye exams to diagnose vision problems and eye diseases.
  • Prescribes eyeglasses, contact lenses, and other vision aids to correct or manage vision issues.
  • Monitors and manages treatment plans for patients with eye conditions such as glaucoma or cataracts.
  • Refers patients to other healthcare professionals as needed for further evaluation or treatment.
  • Maintains accurate and detailed patient records.
  • Stays up-to-date with advancements in the field of optometry and incorporates new techniques and technologies into practice.

Education Requirement

Doctor of Optometry from an Accredited School of Optometry, required.

Licensure Requirement

License to practice Optometry in the State of Ohio, required.

Certifications

(not specified)

Skills

(not specified)

Experience

(not specified)

Physical Requirements

OCCASIONALLY: Bend/twist, Blood and/or Bodily Fluids, Chemicals/Medications, Communicable Diseases and/or Pathogens, Flexing/extending of neck, Fume /Gases /Vapors, Lifting / Carrying: 0-10 lbs, Lifting / Carrying: 11-20 lbs, Lifting / Carrying: 21-40 lbs, Loud Noises, Patient Equipment, Pushing / Pulling: 0-25 lbs, Reaching above shoulder, Squat/kneel

FREQUENTLY: Computer skills, Hand use: grasping, gripping, turning, Repetitive hand/arm use, Sitting, Standing, Walking

CONTINUOUSLY: Audible speech, Color vision, Decision Making, Depth perception, Hearing acuity, Interpreting Data, Peripheral vision, Problem solving, Seeing – Far/near

Additional Physical Requirements performed but not listed above:

Must be able to move or reposition patients of any weight or size with the assistance of another person(s) and/or equipment.

"The above list of duties is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by individuals assigned to this classification. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive list of duties performed by the individuals so classified, nor is it intended to limit or modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct, and control the work of employees under their supervision. EOE M/F/Disability/Vet"

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Team CollaborationPatient EducationOcular Health ManagementVision CareRefractive DiagnosisBinocular Vision ManagementSchool-Based ProgramsMedical Collaboration

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Pediatric Optometrist at Nationwide Children's Hospital a 7.2 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as very good. This places the position in the top 25% in Optometrist roles — ranked against 2,034 active Optometrist roles listings on WeekdayDoc.

Pediatrics Career Context

Of the 50 active Optometrist listings this role was benchmarked against, 70% have no call, 52% require no weekends.

Optometrist pay on WeekdayDoc is up 3.4% vs. the prior quarter (through Oct 2026).

Optometrist by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score7.2 / 10 · top 25% in optometrist rolesranked against 2,034 Optometrist roles listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Listed paynot listedOptometrist median $159k (middle half $150k–$175k)209 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost of livingOhio index 92.8US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Optometrist listings in Ohio84 active2,035 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 70% no call · 52% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedUS healthcare professional listings: 32% state a sign-on bonus (median $20k) · 8% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026
New Pediatrics listings1,197 in the last 30 days769 the 30 days before (+56%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Optometrist pay trend+3.4% vs prior quarter—through Oct 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (2,034 Optometrist roles listings), BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top Optometrist Jobs

32 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

22 jobs · 16 employers
7
<$160k
7
$160k-175k
3
$175k-190k
3
$190k-205k
2
$205k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

18 jobs · 16 employers
401k / retirement match
100%
CME allowance
67% this job
Sign-on bonus
39%
Loan repayment
22%
Relocation assistance
6%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Market Managing Optometrist- Westchester and Long Island, NY- LensCrafters brand

Luxottica of America · Scarsdale, New York

$159k–$222k
#2

Optometrist

Vision To Learn · Allison Park, Pennsylvania

$90-$100/hr
#3

Optometrist

$85-$95/hr
#4

Optometrist

$60-$93.75/hr
+ 30 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 2.8this job 7.2
Better work-life than 90% of Optometrist roles listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 2,034 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site
Nationwide Children's Hospital logo

About Nationwide Children's Hospital

Hospitals and Health Care
Columbus, OH
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

Competitive compensation
Comprehensive benefits package
Continuing education support
Professional development support
Research opportunities
School-based vision program involvement

Living in Columbus

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$259k
Typical market rent
$1,471/mo
Residents’ average commute
22 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
95.5
State income tax
Up to 4%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Columbus, OH metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.