Optometrist- On-Call
Listed compensation
$70.17-$86/hr
The week · per this posting
Schedule not stated in this posting — no days, weekends, call or nights given.
Ask the employer about call expectations, weekend coverage, nights and shift pattern and time off.
Job Description
Salud Para La Gente (SALUD) provides high quality, comprehensive and cost-effective healthcare to underserved low-income communities in Santa Cruz County and North Monterey County. We began in Watsonville in 1978 as a storefront “free clinic” and in 1992 we became a federally qualified community health center (FQHC).
Today we have grown to a primary health care network with 11 clinic sites, over 400 employees, and continue to provide high quality services to patients of all ages.
We are seeking an Optometrist to join our Optometry Department and to provide direct primary eye care and guidance to our patients.
- Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
- To serve as an advocate for patients and their families during their entry into Salud health care system.
- Perform assessments, general and ocular history, and eye examination on new and returning patients.
Assess visual status, ocular motor status, ocular pathological conditions, ocular development status, and optometric needs of patients through appropriate ophthalmic examination methods.
Develop the optometric treatment plan with the patients for visual problems and abnormalities to be implemented.
- Communicate when necessary with patients and or patient’s family by phone or letter.
- Provide guidance to patients and or their families relevant to ocular health education.
- Provide sympathetic care, communicate effectively and respectfully with people from different racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds and lifestyles
- Provide consultation for the professional staff.
Provide Technical Supervision to Para-optometric Staff
- Efficiently use the EHR system and complete chart write-ups and review laboratory works in a timely manner.
- Participate in Salud’s Continuous Quality Improvement program.
- Comply with the referral/utilization procedures and standards.
- Comply with all regulations pertaining to the practice of optometry and licensure in the State of California.
- Comply with the principal of practice.
Minimum Qualifications
- Doctorate Degree from a school of Optometry approved by California.
- Possess and maintain a current California License to practice optometry.
- Must have and maintain a certificate in Ocular Pharmacology issued by the State Board of Optometry.
- Must maintain an average of sixty post-graduate hours in Optometric-Medical Education in the last three years.
- Bilingual, Spanish and English highly preferred.
- Valid CA driver’s license
- Current valid CPR certification.
Salary & Benefits
- Salary: $70.17 - $86.00 an hour
- Benefit: CA Sick Pay, prorated per hours worked
Salud is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information.
Salud is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation, contact the Salud Human Resources Department, [831-728-8250, and HRDept@splg.org].
Key Responsibilities
Provide direct primary eye care, perform ocular examinations, and develop treatment plans for patients in underserved communities. Responsibilities also include supervising para-optometric staff and maintaining electronic health records.
Qualifications
- Education
- Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)
- Experience
- 2+ years of experience
Key Skills
Optometry Career Context
Of the 50 active Optometry listings this role was benchmarked against, 84% have no call, 32% require no weekends.
Optometry pay on WeekdayDoc is up 3.8% vs. the prior quarter (through Oct 2026).
| Measure | This job | Market |
|---|---|---|
| Listed pay | not listed | Optometry median $156k (middle half $140k–$162k)177 comparable listings, Nov 2026 |
| Cost of living | California index 110.7 | US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) |
| Optometry listings in California | 176 active | 2,037 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
| Work setting | on-site | peers: 84% no call · 32% no weekends50 benchmarked listings |
| Sign-on & loan repayment | not stated | California healthcare professional listings: 16% state a sign-on bonus · 6% offer loan repayment180 active listings, Nov 2026 |
| New Optometry listings | 633 in the last 30 days | 404 the 30 days before (+57%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
| Optometry pay trend | +3.8% vs prior quarter | —through Oct 2026 |
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