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Sanford Health
Rapid City, South Dakota

Physician - Optometry Opportunity | Black Hills of SD

OptometristNo callNo nightsFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 4mo ago

Job Description

Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland.

Work Shift: 8 Hours - Day Shifts (United States of America) Scheduled Weekly Hours: 40 Compensation: Union Position: No Department Details Summary Doctors of optometry (ODs) are the primary health care professionals for the eye.

Optometrists examine, diagnose, treat, and manage diseases, injuries, and disorders of the visual system, the eye, and associated structures as well as identify related systemic conditions affecting the eye.

Job Description All patients who receive Optometric care and treatment at the Sanford Health Facility shall be under the overall care of a physician appointed to the Sanford Health Facility's medical staff, who shall be responsible for the medical care of the patient throughout any period of hospitalization or treatment at the Sanford Health Facility.

The licensed Optometrist shall be responsible for the care that he or she provides to patients pursuant to this policy, and shall make such documentation in the patient's medical record as is appropriate and necessary for the care and safety of the patient.

Such medical record documentation shall be consistent with the medical staff rules and regulations and relevant policies. Perform primary care examinations, including refraction. Diagnose vision problems and eye disease.

Test patients' visual acuity, depth perception and color vision, and ability to focus and coordinate their eyes. Analyze test results and develop a treatment plan. Provide pre- and postoperative care to cataract patients as well as those who have had laser vision correction or other eye surgery.

Provide emergency eye care services within their scope of practice. Diagnose conditions due to systemic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure, referring patients to other health care practitioner as needed. Administer drugs for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes as per state licensure allows.

Qualifications Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE) of the American Optometric Association.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they have successfully cared for at least 50 patients that required optometry services in the past 12 months or completion of Optometrist program in the past 12 months. Experience must correlate to the privileges requested.

Allied Health Professionals must meet any continuing education requirements imposed by the applicable licensing or regulatory agency or by the Sanford Health Facility.

A letter of reference must come from the director of the applicant’s Optometry program, if applicant is applying directly out of residency, or, a letter of reference may come from the head of the surgery department, chief of service, or the chief medical officer at the institution where the applicant most recently practice.

Are currently licensed to practice as an Optometrist in the state where requesting Allied Health appointment. Have successfully passed all parts of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO) examination.

Privileging documents and related credentialing requirements will supersede this job description in defining minimum qualifications, criteria, and scope of practice, if variation between documents exists. Sanford is an EEO/AA Employer M/F/Disability/Vet.

If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request an accommodation for help with your online application, please call 1-877-949-5678 or send an email to talent@sanfordhealth.org.

The Sanford organization owns and manages multiple distinct brands, including Sanford Health, Marshfield Clinic, and Good Samaritan, as well as Lewis Drug, Sanford Health Equip, Solutions by Sanford, Great Shots, and Blue Rock Bar & Grill.

Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland.

Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization has 53,000 employees and serves over 2 million patients and nearly 425,000 health plan members across the upper Midwest including South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Iowa, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

The integrated nonprofit health system includes a network of 56 hospitals, 288 clinic locations, 147 senior care communities, 4,000 physicians and advanced practice providers and nearly 1,500 active clinical trials and studies.

The organization’s transformational virtual care initiative brings patients closer to care with access to 78 specialties. Learn more about Sanford Health’s commitment to shaping the future of rural health care across the lifespan at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.

Good Samaritan, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit providers of senior care and services, is committed to transforming the aging experience through innovation, compassion and personalized care.

As part of Sanford Health, an integrated nonprofit health system headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Good Samaritan serves 10,000 seniors and offers access to a full continuum of care, including 94 rehabilitation and skilled nursing centers, 56 assisted living and memory care facilities, 44 independent living locations and 37 home health and hospice agencies.

The senior care provider delivers services across the upper Midwest, with 70% of residents living in rural communities. Learn more about Good Samaritan’s mission and commitment to delivering high quality senior care in rural America at good-sam.com.

Key Responsibilities

The Optometrist is responsible for examining, diagnosing, and treating diseases and disorders of the visual system. This includes performing primary care examinations, managing emergency eye care, and providing pre- and postoperative care for surgery patients.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree and be licensed to practice in the state of appointment. Successful completion of the NBEO examination and evidence of recent clinical experience or recent graduation are required.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Eye Disease DiagnosisVisual Acuity TestingTreatment PlanningSystemic Disease DiagnosisDrug Administration

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Physician - Optometry Opportunity | Black Hills of SD at Sanford Health a 6.9 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the top 25% in Optometry — ranked against 1,886 active Optometry listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no on-call duties, no night shifts.

Optometry Career Context

Of the 50 active Optometry listings this role was benchmarked against, 2% are remote, 82% have no call, 44% require no weekends.

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

The cost-of-living index for South Dakota is 88.6 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 58.2% of South Dakota clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Location & Logistics

South Dakota has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states.

Top Optometrist Jobs

30 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution26 jobs · 14 employers

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

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks25 jobs · 14 employers

401k / retirement match
84%
CME allowance
64% this job
Sign-on bonus
56%
Loan repayment
28%
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

Managing Optometrist-West Nyack, NY- LensCrafters

$159k-$222k
#4

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

$159k–$222k
+ 28 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 2.8this job 6.9
Better work-life than 80% of Optometry listings

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

  • No call
  • No nights

Living in Rapid City

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$347k
Typical market rent
$1,484/mo
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
89.2
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026).

BEA 2024 · Rapid City, SD metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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