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Kaiser Permanente
Los Angeles, California

Optometrist-Per Diem

OptometristIncludes weekendsPer Diem

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting

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

Posted 3mo ago

Job Description

Provides visual examinations, including those conducted to identify the presence of pathology. Conducts detection and differential diagnosis of abnormal visual, ocular and/or systematic conditions. Provides complete high quality optometric/vision care services to members.

Essential Responsibilities

Upholds Kaiser Permanentes Policies and Procedures, Principles of Responsibilities and applicable state, federal and local laws.

Provides treatment of the visual system within the scope of optometric licensure, including writing prescriptions for ophthalmic spectacles, contact lenses, orthoptics and non-optical aids.

Provides additional specialized testing and therapy such as contact lens examinations, visual fields (perimetry), tonometry, orthoptics (for therapy of amblyopia, suppression, diplopia, extraocular muscle problems and associated conditions), low vision evaluation (for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with subnormal vision not correctable with standard opthalmic appliances), fluorescein angiography (for diagnosing and documenting ocular conditions) and ocular photography (for photo examination of the external and internal structures of the eye under the direction of Ophthalmology).

Maintains compliance with all current organizational, state and federal regulations pertaining to Optometry.

Reports and coordinates with the Coordinating Optometrists to ensure member satisfaction and promote financial viability of the Permanente Vision Services Program.

Works effectively as team member with other areas of Vision Services which includes Optical Lab and Optical Dispensing.

  • Promotes member satisfaction by ensuring the provision of a high level of quality of service and care.
  • Establishes and maintains courteous and cooperative relations with the public, patients and other personnel.
  • May perform other duties as required.

Basic Qualifications

  • Experience
  • N/A.

Education

  • Graduate of a school or college of Optometry accredited by the California State Board of Optometry.
  • License, Certification, Registration
  • Optometrist License (California)
  • National Provider Identifier

Additional Requirements

Ability to demonstrate knowledge of and to apply the principles, theories, practices and techniques of optometric practice, including anatomy, physiology, pathology and mechanics of the human eye, visual processes and detailed knowledge of ocular pharmacology and therapeutics.

  • Must be able to work evenings and Saturdays.
  • May rotate to other MOBs within the Medical Center Service Area*.

Consistently demonstrates the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors necessary to provide superior and culturally sensitive service to each other, to our members, and to customers, contracted providers, and vendors.

Preferred Qualifications

Completion of a one year ACOE accredited residency program.

A hiring manager may specify Preferred Qualifications, which are desirable and above and beyond the requirements specified in the Minimum Qualifications section above.

Please keep in mind that any such Preferred Qualifications should be job related and relevant (i. e., directly related to the duties and responsibilities described in this Job Description) and stated in non-prejudicial language.

Key Responsibilities

Provides comprehensive optometric care, including visual examinations and the diagnosis of ocular and systemic conditions. Performs specialized testing and therapy while collaborating with the Vision Services team to ensure member satisfaction.

Requirements

Requires a degree from an accredited college of Optometry and a valid California Optometrist License. Candidates must possess deep knowledge of ocular anatomy and pharmacology and be available to work evenings and Saturdays.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Ophthalmic PrescriptionsContact Lens Fitting

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Optometrist-Per Diem at Kaiser Permanente a 6.1 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the Above average in Optometry — ranked against 1,886 active Optometry listings on WeekdayDoc.

Optometry Career Context

Of the 50 active Optometry listings this role was benchmarked against, 2% are remote, 76% have no call, 54% require no weekends.

Optometry pay on WeekdayDoc is up 1.0% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top contract/1099 Optometrist Jobs

31 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution27 jobs · 14 employers

9
<$165k
7
$165k-190k
6
$190k-215k
3
$215k-240k
2
$240k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks26 jobs · 14 employers

401k / retirement match
81%
CME allowance
65%
Sign-on bonus
54%
Loan repayment
27%
PSLF eligible
8%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Optometrist

Vision to Learn · Newark, New Jersey

$110-$120/hr
#2

Optometrist - Ophthalmology

Providence · Torrance, California

$74.17-$117.1/hr
#3

Optometrist

$130k-$230k
#4

Managing Optometrist-West Nyack, NY- LensCrafters

$159k-$222k
+ 29 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 2.8this job 6.1
Better work-life than 70% of Optometry listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 1,886 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes weekends

Living in Los Angeles

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$923k
Typical market rent
$2,778/mo
Residents’ average commute
31 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
113.6
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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