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Orthoptists

Diagnose and treat visual system disorders such as binocular vision and eye movement impairments.

$115,210 a year (for the broader BLS group this job sits in).

now
30%

of the working time. Estimate.

Kinds of work
  • 32%
  • 2%
  • 66%
2%

Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.

Half the desk work within reach
Already

On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.

Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030

0%25%50%75%100%2027202820292030NowDesk work: 32% of the time
Chosen to Ceiling: the share
DateNow
NowEnd of 2030

What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .

At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.

How far this has come

With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 1%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 30%. Today's estimate: 30%.

0%10%20%30%40%2023202420252026GPT-4, March 2023: 0% within reachGPT-4 Turbo (Nov 2023), November 2023: 0% within reachGPT-4o, May 2024: 0% within reachClaude 3.5 Sonnet (June 2024), June 2024: 0% within reacho1-preview, September 2024: 0% within reachClaude 3.5 Sonnet (Oct 2024), October 2024: 0% within reacho1, December 2024: 0% within reachClaude 3.7 Sonnet, February 2025: 1% within reacho3, April 2025: 9% within reachGPT-5, August 2025: 12% within reachGemini 3 Pro, November 2025: 17% within reachClaude Opus 4.5, November 2025: 17% within reachGPT-5.2, December 2025: 20% within reachClaude Opus 4.6, February 2026: 20% within reachClaude Mythos Preview (early), April 2026: 30% within reachToday (estimate), September 2026: 30% within reach
Each step is a new best model measured by METR, four in five; the dashed end is today's estimate. Point at a dot for the model.

A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.

The tasks

Sorted by . 16 tasks from .

TaskKind
Evaluate, diagnose, or treat disorders of the visual system with an emphasis on binocular vision or abnormal eye movements.Done hourly or more by most who do it. 20%50 min25 min to 1.3 hStays with people
Examine patients with problems related to ocular motility, binocular vision, amblyopia, or strabismus.Done hourly or more by most who do it. 16%38 min17 min to 1.1 hStays with people
Develop or use special test and communication techniques to facilitate diagnosis and treatment of children or patients with disabilities.Done hourly or more by most who do it. 10%50 min17 min to 1.7 hStays with people
Perform diagnostic tests or measurements, such as motor testing, visual acuity testing, lensometry, retinoscopy, and color vision testing.Done hourly or more by most who do it. 10%25 min13 min to 50 minStays with people
Develop nonsurgical treatment plans for patients with conditions such as strabismus, nystagmus, and other visual disorders.Done hourly or more by most who do it. 10%38 min17 min to 1.3 h100%Half by now
Provide training related to clinical methods or orthoptics to students, resident physicians, or other health professionals.Done more than weekly by most who do it. 8%1.3 h38 min to 2.1 h99%Half by now
Provide nonsurgical interventions, including corrective lenses, patches, drops, fusion exercises, or stereograms, to treat conditions such as strabismus, heterophoria, and convergence insufficiency.Done hourly or more by most who do it. 8%25 min13 min to 50 minStays with people
Interpret clinical or diagnostic test results.Done hourly or more by most who do it. AI observed on this task.4%17 min8 min to 38 min100%Half by now
Provide instructions to patients or family members concerning diagnoses or treatment plans.Done hourly or more by most who do it. 4%17 min8 min to 33 min100%Half by now
Prepare diagnostic or treatment reports for other medical practitioners or therapists.Done more than monthly by most who do it. AI observed on this task.2%25 min13 min to 1.1 h100%Half by now
Collaborate with ophthalmologists, optometrists, or other specialists in the diagnosis, treatment, or management of conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, and retinal diseases.Done daily by most who do it. 2%25 min13 min to 1.1 hStays with people
Assist ophthalmologists in diagnostic ophthalmic procedures, such as ultrasonography, fundus photography, and tonometry.Done several times a day by most who do it. 2%25 min13 min to 50 minStays with people

Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.

Jobs that share skills with this one

From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.

Where this job works

The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.

Where the most of these jobs are

The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.