No, unfortunately its anecdotal. A recent grad (2 years ago) explained these rough statistics to me. I see no reason why he would be lying.
Dude you can't just be throwing random numbers out on the web and expect people to take you serious.
My friend, you must learn
Rule # 1 in Optometry: ALL optometrists almost always lie. It's a tool to survive in the dog-eat-dog profession we are in. (Come to think of it, you may fit right in).
" I have a million dollar practice". (I've heard this one so many times from docs in what turns out to be little run-down shacks that I chuckle just thinking about it).
" Yes. Mrs. Jones, those $500 glasses look much better on you than the $100 ones".
" The private label contacts I sell exclusively at my office are much better than the Acuvues you've been wearing for 10 years and can get for $18 online."
" Yes, I love my job and I could use partner in a few years".
"I have no regrets being an optometrist".
"It's not big deal to take 30 years to pay off my student debt".
"Those $59 glasses at Wal-mart are terrible glasses".
"I'm never ashamed at telling people my "office" is inside Walmart". (
Just a little story if you will induldge me: I was at a oncologists office with my wife one time and he was making small talk and found out I was an optometrist. He said, "Oh, where is your office?" It was at that moment that I realized I was sooooo happy I didn't have to hang my head and ashamedly say, "I work at Walmart". No doubt he thought me little more than a good nurse at least better than a chiropractor. But at least I held out a professional demeanor by having a real free-standing private optometry practice when probably his only experience with optometry is seeing the 'Walk-ins Welcome' optometry' sign at the Walmart cash registers or maybe the 2 glasses for $89 sign in the parking lots.)
"You must get your eyes examined every year or they will fall out".
" I am a real doctor because Medicare says so".
As a general rule. Whatever an optometrist says he makes, it's probably safe to assume it's about half to 75% in reality.
It's still not a terrible job or a bad lifestyle.........AT THIS POINT (although it has been better). But all signs point to it worsening. ALL signs!
We are the local hardware store owner getting ready to be run out of business by Home Depot and Lowes and given a job as a fork lift driver in return.
If Optometry were the stock market, everyone would be pulling their money and out running.