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VSP Vision
Salida, Colorado

Optometrist (Ascent Eye Care) - Salida, CO

OptometristPart-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting

Schedule not stated in this posting — no days, weekends, call or nights given.

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting, call expectations and time off.

Posted 54m ago · Verified live

Job Description

At Ascent Eye Care, you'll have an incredible opportunity to improve and preserve the gift of sight while making a difference each day. If you're dedicated to helping individuals see their world clearly and are looking for a long-term opportunity with room to grow, Ascent Eye Care in Salida, Colorado is where you want to be.

Why Join Us?

Established in 2024 and growing quickly, Ascent Eye Care is committed to providing the highest quality eye care possible and helping patients make informed decisions about their vision.

The practice offers comprehensive eye exams, diabetic eye exams, dry eye treatments, ocular disease management, eye emergencies, myopia management, soft & specialty contact lenses, minor surgical and laser procedures, and surgical post-operative care.

Its advanced clinical environment includes six exam lanes including a minor surgical procedure room, Crystal PM EHR software, manual phoropter with plus cyl, autorefractor, Haag Streit slit lamp, binocular indirect ophthalmoscope, iCare tonometer, Goldmann applanation, digital visual acuity chart, manual lensometer, Zeiss Cirrus OCT-A, Zeis Humphrey Visual Field, Envision by InMode (Forma I and Lumecca I), Zeiss Altas Corneal Topgrapher, iCare EidonAF fundus camera, and an In-house lens finishing lab.

What You'll Do

As an Optometrist at Ascent Eye Care, you will perform comprehensive eye examinations; assess visual acuity, refraction, eye alignment, and overall eye health; prescribe eyeglasses and contact lenses; diagnose and manage ocular conditions; recognize ocular signs of systemic disease; conduct specialized testing; provide contact lens care; co-manage pre- and post-operative patients when applicable; educate patients; make appropriate referrals; and maintain complete patient records.

Doctors average at least 16 comprehensive exams plus 4 to 6 shorter appointments per work day on patients of all ages from across south-central Colorado. This opportunity is scheduled for 3-4 days a week.

Who You Are

You are a kind, compassionate, knowledgeable, and personable optometrist who is reliable, punctual, and committed to a strong work ethic. You are comfortable caring for a diverse patient population, collaborating with the practice team, and delivering thoughtful, high-quality care. You are also motivated by continuous learning and the opportunity to grow with a practice that offers a future partnership path.

Why You'll Love Salida

Located in the Upper Arkansas River Valley in the Heart of the Rockies, Salida offers an active small-town lifestyle surrounded by exceptional outdoor recreation.

Monarch Mountain Ski Resort is about 20 minutes away, 15 of Colorado's fourteeners are within an hour's drive, and the Arkansas River runs right through town, offering opportunities for fishing, rafting, and river surfing.

The Arkansas Hills and Methodist Mountain trail systems also provide roughly 70 miles of nearby singletrack. This is an appealing setting for someone who values community, mountain access, and a more relaxed pace of life.

You'll Enjoy a Range of Benefits, Including

  • Medical and vision insurance
  • 401k matching (100% up to 4% of compensation)
  • Paid time off
  • Sick leave
  • Production bonus
  • Malpractice insurance and licensing fees
  • Continuing education allowance
  • Partnership opportunity

Minimum Qualifications

Licensed to practice optometry in the state of Colorado.

Special Notice

This is not a career opportunity with VSP Vision or its companies. VSP Vision is helping PECAA Max Members recruit qualified applicants for their private practices. VSP Vision is not acting as a job placement agency or staffing firm. Applicants are not guaranteed a job interview or job offer.

The hiring decision and acceptance of this position is solely between the hiring practice and the applicant. The above information in this description was provided by the hiring practice. It has been designated to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by an employee in this role.

It is not designed to contain, or be interpreted as, comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees hired in this role.

VSP Vision OD Recruitment Support

VSP Network Practices who are PECAA Max members in good standing benefit from access to dedicated VSP Vision recruiters to help them find qualified Optometrists. VSP Vision is not an employment agency and does not guarantee the placement of any practice professionals.

The practice shall have sole responsibility for all decisions in the hiring process including interviewing and hiring of practice professionals.

VSP Network Practices also benefit from access to other hiring related resources, including free job listings on the VSP Vision Optometry Career Site, which is linked to over 300 career sites.

VSP Vision is an equal opportunity employer and gives consideration for employment to qualified applicants without regard to age, gender, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing.

Unincorporated LA County Residents: Qualified Applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act, and any other similar laws.

Notice to Candidates: Fraud Alert - Fake Job Opportunity Solicitations Used to Collect Fees/Personal Information.

We have been made aware that fake job opportunities are being offered by individuals posing as VSP Vision and affiliate recruiters. Click here to learn about our application process and what to watch for regarding false job opportunities.

As a regular part of doing business, VSP Vision (“VSP”) collects many different types of personal information, including protected health information, about our audiences, including members, doctors, clients, brokers, business partners, and employees. VSP Vision employees will have access to this sensitive personal information and are subject to follow Information Security and Privacy Policies.

Key Responsibilities

Perform comprehensive eye examinations, diagnose and manage ocular conditions, and prescribe corrective lenses for patients of all ages. Collaborate with the practice team to provide high-quality eye care and maintain accurate patient records.

Requirements

Must be a licensed optometrist in the state of Colorado. Candidates should be compassionate, reliable, and committed to delivering high-quality patient care in a collaborative environment.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Contact lens fittingOcular health assessmentPatient educationMinor surgical proceduresClinical documentation

Optometry Career Context

VSP Vision holds silver-tier status on WeekdayDoc's Top Employers work-life index, composite score 71/100, 80 active listings.

Of the 50 active Optometry listings this role was benchmarked against, 2% are remote, 82% have no call, 42% require no weekends.

Optometry by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed paynot listedOptometry median $150k (middle half $140k–$155k)15 comparable listings, Oct 2026
Cost of livingColorado index 103.1US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Optometry listings in Colorado48 active2,013 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 2% remote · 82% no call · 42% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedUS healthcare professional listings: 22% state a sign-on bonus (median $18k) · 7% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Oct 2026
Optometry pay trend+1.7% vs prior quarter—through Sep 2026
VSP Visionsilver tier, 71/100Top Employers work-life index80 active listings
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, Top Employers work-life index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top Optometrist Jobs

20 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

19 jobs · 11 employers
5
<$155k
7
$155k-170k
4
$170k-185k
1
$196k
2
$200k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

18 jobs · 11 employers
401k / retirement match
100% this job
CME allowance
67% this job
Sign-on bonus
50%
Loan repayment
33%
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 (Dr. Tavel Family Eye Care) - Kokomo, IN

VSP Vision · Indianapolis, Indiana

$140k-$200k
#3

Optometrist, Sign On Bonus (Brookside Optometric Group)

$121k-$196k
#4

Optometrist

$63-$85/hr
+ 18 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 2.8this job 0.9
Below most Optometry listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 1,993 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

VSP Vision logo

About VSP Vision

Hospitals and Health Care
Rancho Cordova, CA
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical and vision insurance
401k matching (100% up to 4%)
Paid time off
Sick leave
Production bonus
Malpractice insurance and licensing fees
Continuing education allowance
Partnership opportunity

Living in Salida

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$756k
Median resident rent
$1,292/mo
Residents’ average commute
17 min
State income tax
Up to 4.4%
Sources & methodology

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

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