About One-quarter of ODs Say They Have More Than One Paying Role
Almost ¾ of the respondents of the most recent Women In Optometry Pop-up Poll said that they have one professional, paying position. However, nearly 16 percent said they have two revenue streams and 9 percent said they have three. The trend among women ODs was almost identical, with 75 percent saying they have one source of income, 13 percent reporting they have two paying jobs, 9 percent saying they have three jobs and 2 percent saying they have 4 or more paying jobs.
Independent optometric practices, unaffiliated with any corporate brand or franchise, accounts for primary pay for nearly 58 percent of respondents to the poll. Another 22 percent of respondents earn their primary pay from a franchise, leaseholder or corporate practice location.
Among women ODs specifically, the percentage of those saying they worked in independent locations was higher than the overall number. Sixty-six percent said their primary career location is an independent location, followed by 18 percent in a franchise or leaseholder situation, 13 percent in an MD-owned practice and 5 percent in an academic setting.
For those who earned additional professional revenue, nearly one-third of respondents said they work in independent optometric locations to supplement their pay. Lectures, presentations and writing was the second-most common source of additional revenue (25 percent) followed by consulting (21 percent).
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