Optometrists are being invited to participate in a new online survey exploring the highs and lows of working in the New Zealand profession and to establish a salary guide.

Led by Robert Ng and Dr Renita Martis, from the School of Optometry and Vision Science (SOVS) at the University of Auckland, the survey’s salary questions extend its scope beyond the recent Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Board (ODOB) workforce study and the 2006 New Zealand Association of Optometrists (NZAO) study. The survey is completely anonymous, to encourage optometrists to participate and to be as frank and honest as they can be, said Ng.

The industry has changed a lot over the last 10 years and experienced optometrists and new graduates may have different ideas on where it’s going, he said. “By collecting these data, we will be able to analyse themes which stakeholders such as the ODOB and NZAO could use to implement change and evolve the profession.”

The salary topic is a sensitive one, Ng admitted, but was important to include. “We know there is salary inequality in society and other professions’ salaries are often discussed in the media, but they’re not generally talked about by optometrists. Some people are getting paid way less than the market rate for doing the same job. As such, a salary guide benefits not only the employee but also the employer and ensures equity.”

The workforce survey is open until July 2022 and takes approximately two minutes to complete: http://tinyurl.com/nzoptomsurvey