Orthoptist Newbie. Salary: $40,000 

You're fresh out of school and a little nervous about your first patients. You accidentally dilate a patient's eyes before running any other tests and have to send him home, rescheduling for a week. The senior Orthoptist in your office chuckles, pats you on the back, and says, "Don't worry, this happens to all of my pupils."

Orthoptist a couple years in. Salary: $46,000 

After a few years on the job, you're much more comfortable with new patients. You've evened out your demeanor, focusing on the bottom line: providing excellent care. You're getting more and more referrals lately, resulting in a couple of nice raises and a whole lotta respect.

Orthoptist five years in. Salary: $70,000 

You got offered a job in Denver to work as part of a team specifically diagnosing and treating glaucoma. After spending the past six years working a schedule packed with a huge range of ailments, you're ready to relax a little bit and focus on one thing. Plus, seeing a little more green doesn't hurt one bit.

Senior Orthoptist. Salary: $90,000 

After spending five years in Denver developing a new, non-surgical method to treat Chronic Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma, you've been recommended by the board to open a new practice in Boulder and supervise a team of several other, newer orthoptists. You're ready to share your expertise, but you're really ready to go skiing a little more often.

Best of the best. Salary: $130,000 

Based on the success of your treatment methods and offices in its various cities, the Colorado government asked you to oversee the public-sector orthoptist practices across the state. You'll help train new orthoptists in your specific methods, helping them to understand their patients' ailments all while avoiding surgery as much as possible. It's a great honor.