Ophthalmologists Salary in USA

The word "Ophthalmos" is Greek for "Eye" - combines with "Logy" meaning "study" giving us the meaning : One who has studied the eye, or a doctor of the eye. Many complain that Ophthalmogists maintain their elite club not allowing just about anyone to enter the specialty. I am not sure how that is done, but over the recent years, the Ophthalmologist pay-scales have gone down, thanks to reduced payouts by Medicare.

Yet, they remain pretty impressive.
It's a specialized surgical branch and as such is pretty tough for IMGs to enter.

Ophthalmologist Salary

City	Average Ophthalmologist  Salary
New York, NY	$280,000
Los Angeles, CA	$268,000
Seattle, WA	$260,000
Houston, TX	$246,000
Miami, Fl	$238,000

National Average = $235,000/- 

NOTE: Ophthalmologist salary here apply to mid-career levels.

Lifestyle of ophtalmologist in USA is pretty controlled with most surgeries done on an elective basis...

How to Become an Ophthalmologist in the USA ?

A Three-year Residency in Opthalmology is needed AFTER a 1-year Transitional /Preliminary training in clinical medicine (Internal medicine or Pediatrics). Now, candidates have to seek the Transitional / Prelim years via the NRMP match and then apply for Opthalmology via the SFMatch .

Fellowship  Options After Ophthalmology Residency

There are big choice of specialization options after residency in ophthalmology. Some of them are listed below:

- External Eye Disease and Cornea Fellowship
- Glaucoma Fellowship
- Ophthalmic Pathology Fellowship
- Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Fellowship
- Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery Ophthalmology Fellowship
- Retinal Disease Surgery Fellowship



Useful books:
1. Ophthalmology Made Ridiculously Simple
2. Basic Ophthalmology
3. Review of Ophthalmology: Expert Consult - Online and Print
4. Clinical Ophthalmology: A Systematic Approach
5. The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Illustrated Manual of Ophthalmology