Is Locum Optometry In The UK Worth It In 2025? Here's What You Need to Know

Is Locum Optometry In The UK Worth It In 2025? Here's What You Need to Know 

The UK optometry landscape has undergone significant changes in recent years, especially within Wales making locum optometry an increasingly attractive career option for qualified optometrists.

With rising demand for eye care services, flexible working arrangements becoming more mainstream, and competitive daily rates, many optometrists are asking: is locum optometry worth pursuing in 2025? 

This comprehensive guide examines the current state of locum optometry jobs in the UK, covering everything from earning potential to career benefits and challenges you need to consider. 

What Is Locum Optometry? 

Locum optometry involves working as a temporary optometrist, filling in for permanent staff who are on holiday, sick leave, or covering staff shortages at various optical practices across the UK. Locum optometrists typically work through recruitment agencies via booking on their apps, or maintain direct relationships with multiple practices. 

As a locum optometrist, you'll provide the same clinical services as permanent staff, including comprehensive eye examinations, contact lens fittings, and pre and post-operative care, but with the flexibility to choose when, where and for how much you will work for. 

Current Demand for Locum Optometrists in the UK 

The demand for locum optometry services in the UK remains exceptionally strong in Wales, Scotland & costal areas of England in 2025. Several factors contribute to this high demand: 

NHS Backlogs: In Wales there is a shortage of eye units in the hospitals thus causing a lot of the burden of eye care to land in community optometry. Therefore practises often want more than one optometrist as there's plenty of patients that require testing and constant monitoring which would be done by the hospital but are now being done by upskilled optometrists.

Aging Population: The UK's aging demographic requires more frequent eye examinations and treatment for age-related conditions like glaucoma, macular degeneration, and cataracts.

Staff Shortages In Rural Areas: Many optical practices face recruitment challenges for permanent positions outside of cities, creating consistent opportunities for locum work. 

Practice Expansion: Independent practices and major chains continue expanding their services, requiring additional clinical coverage during transition periods.

Locum Optometry Salary and Daily Rates in 2025 

One of the most compelling aspects of locum optometry is the competitive earning potential. Current daily rates for locum optometrists in the UK typically range from £300 to £500 per day, depending on several factors: 

Location: Rural or costal areas generally offer higher rates (£400-500+), while rates in cities or large towns may be lower (£275-375). 

Practice Type: Company owned opticians often pay more than independents or director/joint venture partnership opticians.

Demand and Availability: Rates can increase during peak holiday periods or in areas with critical shortages. 

Benefits of Locum Optometry Work

Higher Pay: Working 5 days per week at an average rate of £300 per day (Which is on the lower end of the locum optometry pay spectrum) could generate an annual income of approximately £72,000 before expenses: making locum work financially attractive compared to many permanent positions.

Flexibility and Work-Life Balance: Locum work offers unparalleled flexibility. You can choose your working days, take extended breaks between assignments, and better manage personal commitments. This flexibility is particularly valuable for optometrists with young families or those pursuing additional qualifications. 

Diverse Clinical Experience: Working across different practices exposes you to varied patient demographics, equipment, and clinical approaches. This diversity can significantly enhance your clinical skills and make you a more well-rounded practitioner. 

Networking Opportunities: Regular interaction with different practices, colleagues, and support staff helps build a professional network that can benefit your long-term career prospects. 

Higher Saving Potential Due To Self-Employment: For many optometrists, locum work provides higher annual savings in their tax bill than permanent positions, This is due to being able to claim many more things as expenses and working with skilled accountants to be as tax efficient as possible, whereas employed optometrist counterparts cannot do this and simply have to pay the standard rate as PAYE dictates. 

Career Exploration: Locum work allows you to experience different practice environments, helping you identify what type of permanent position might suit you best in the future. 

Challenges and Considerations 

Income Variability: Unlike salaried positions, locum income can fluctuate based on availability of work, seasonal demand, and economic factors. This requires careful financial planning and budgeting. 

No Employment Benefits: Locum optometrists don't receive traditional employment benefits such as paid holidays, sick pay, pension contributions, or professional development funding. You'll need to factor these costs into your rates and save accordingly. 

Continuous Learning and Adaptation: Working in different practices means constantly adapting to new systems, equipment, and protocols. This can be stimulating but also demanding. 

Professional Isolation: Without permanent colleagues, locum optometrists may experience professional isolation and miss out on regular team dynamics and support. 

Administrative Responsibilities: You'll need to book your own shifts and get an accountant to manage your own taxes, insurance, professional registration, and continuing education requirements. 

Equipment Familiarity: Each practice may use different diagnostic equipment, requiring adaptability and ongoing learning to maintain efficiency. 

Getting Started with Locum Optometry 

In our community, The Locum Movement we guide you step-by-step from reducing hours, to setting you up with our trusted accountant, to showing you how to register and book your first shift within an agency - and of course how to use many of the optical chains unfamiliar equipment & systems.

Professional Requirements: Ensure your GOC & NHS health board number (SOL/OPL) registration is current and you have appropriate professional indemnity insurance.

Registration with Agencies: Most locum optometrists work through specialized recruitment agencies. Research reputable agencies that serve your preferred geographic areas and practice types. 

Geographic Considerations: Decide whether you're willing to travel for assignments and consider the associated costs and time commitments. 

Financial Planning: Set up appropriate accounting systems, understand your tax obligations, and plan for variable income patterns. 

Working with Locum Agencies 

There are 4 main optometry locum agencies within the UK currently

1) LocateALocum

2) Vision Express

3) Team Locum

4) Locumotive

Technology and Equipment Considerations 

Modern optometry practices use increasingly sophisticated diagnostic equipment. Successful locum optometrists invest time in learning about different OCT machines, visual field analyzers, and electronic patient record systems. This adaptability makes you more valuable to practices and agencies. 

Future Outlook for Locum Optometry 

The outlook for locum optometry in the UK remains positive for 2025 and beyond. Several trends support continued strong demand: 

Increased Focus on Preventive Eye Care: Government initiatives and public awareness campaigns are driving more people to seek regular eye examinations. 

Technological Advancement: New diagnostic technologies require skilled practitioners to operate them effectively, increasing the value of experienced optometrists. 

Aging Workforce: As many optometrists approach retirement, locum work provides an attractive transition option while maintaining clinical involvement. 

Practice Consolidation: As independent practices join larger groups such as Hakim Group, temporary coverage during transitions creates additional locum opportunities. 

Is Locum Optometry Right for You? 

Locum optometry can be highly rewarding for the right practitioner. It's particularly well-suited optometrists who value flexibility, enjoy variety in their work, are comfortable with change, and want to maximize their earning potential. 

However, it requires strong organizational skills, financial discipline, and the ability to adapt quickly to new environments. That's why it is paramount to transition with the support of experienced locums and once you have found your feet - you can start to explore the landscape of optometry as a locum confidently. Join us at The Locum Movement to kickstart your locum career with full support and resources: then safetly & confidently practice having now saved months of confusion and thousands in what would have been wasted income.

Conclusion 

Locum optometry in the UK offers compelling opportunities in 2025, with strong demand, competitive rates, and excellent flexibility.

he current market conditions favor locum optometrists, with daily rates remaining robust and opportunities abundant across various practice types and geographic locations. 

Success in locum optometry requires careful planning, professional development, and the right mindset for flexible working. For optometrists who embrace these challenges, locum work can provide an excellent income, diverse clinical experience, and the work-life balance that many permanent positions cannot match. 

Whether you're a newly qualified optometrist exploring career options or an experienced practitioner seeking more flexibility, locum optometry deserves serious consideration as a viable and potentially lucrative career path in 2025. 

The key to success lies in understanding the market, building strong relationships with agencies and practices, maintaining high professional standards, and adapting to the evolving needs of the UK's optical care sector.