Since more than half of the growing and aging U.S. population wears glasses or contact lenses, optometrists certainly don't have a shortage of work.

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Among their responsibilities is giving eye exams to not only uncover vision problems such as nearsightedness, but to diagnose diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma. They also test patients' depth perception and ability to see colors.

Optometrists also prescribe glasses or contact lenses, or medications to treat eye diseases.

They use equipment such as a slit lamp, used to examine various parts of the eye, or a ophthalmoscope, used to examine the optic nerve and detect symptoms of diseases such as high blood pressure or diabetes, which is the leading cause of blindness.

"We can now treat a wide variety of problems right here in the office'' because of advances in technology, said optometrist Pamela Brown, who works in the office of Dr. Allan Robbins in Rochester. Robbins is an ophthalmologist, a physician specializing in diseases and disorders of the eye.

Aron Farrell, manager of data information with the American Optometric Association, says two-thirds of the 30,600 full-time optometrists practice privately. This means they may have to handle business chores such as record keeping and hiring employees.

Many optometrists don't work solely in a private practice, but pull double-duty by working in both an office and a retail outlet or clinic. More flexibility is needed for the retail work, meaning they must be available for nights and weekends. Brown's 44-hour work week includes one day at Robbins' office and the remainder of her hours at Cohen's Fashion Optical in The Marketplace mall.

A significant educational commitment is needed before going into the field. After finishing undergraduate studies, prospective candidates must complete a four-year program to earn a doctor of optometry degree. There is also a one-year residency that is not required but is helpful in career development, says Brown.

And they're not done there. To become licensed, which is required in every state, optometrists must also pass an examination with both written and clinical aspects. Brown says renewal of the license is tri-annual in New York state.

According to Farrell, the median salary for optometrists in 1996 was $85,000. New graduates in their first year of practice made an average of $57,500.

Jobs will continue to grow as fast as the average for all occupations over the next eight years, according to the 1998-99 online edition of the Occupational Outlook Handbook.