Membership Types

Active Member

• A Doctor of Optometry who is practicing or living in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and who is a member of an affiliated society and the American Optometric Association. The annual dues for Active members shall be established by the House of Delegates during its annual meeting.

Partial Practice Member

• A Doctor of Optometry who practices or lives in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania three (3) days or less per week in compensated optometrically-related activities. AOA eligibility for Partial Practice membership is practicing an average of 16 or fewer hours per week.) The annual dues for Partial Practice members shall be fifty percent (50%) of the dues of Active members.

Educator Member

• A Doctor of Optometry who holds a full-time faculty or administrative position at an accredited school or college. The annual dues for Educator members shall be fifty percent (50%) of the dues of an Active member.

Post-Graduate Member

• A Doctor of Optometry who is a full-time student in an accredited institution, or resident or fellow in a residency program. Please request a Post-Graduate Member application.

Federal Service Member

• A Doctor of Optometry who is a Federal Service member of the American Optometric Association or an affiliated society of POA. Please request a Federal Service Member application.

Retired Member

• A Doctor of Optometry who is no longer engaged in compensated optometrically-related activities, is at least fifty-five (55) years of age, not eligible for Life membership and whose status is certified annually by the member. An individual applying for Retired membership must currently be an Active, Partial Practice, Federal Services or Educator member. The annual dues for Retired members shall be twenty percent (20%) of the dues of an Active member. (AOA’s Retired members pays $100 to receive benefits or pays no dues and receives no benefits.)

Life Member

• A Doctor of Optometry who has been a member for forty-five (45) or more years or who is permanently incapacitated. Eligibility for Life membership must be documented by the affiliated local society and conferred by the Board of Directors.

Associate Member

• A Doctor of Optometry whose primary practice is in another state and is a member of that state optometric association and the American Optometric Association. The annual dues for Associate members shall be established by the House of Delegates during its annual meeting. Please request an Associate Member application.

Student Member

• An optometric student who is a member of the Pennsylvania Optometric Student Association.  The annual dues for Student members shall be established by the Board of Directors in consultation with the Student society. (AOA also has a student membership program available directly through AOA.)

Distinguished Member

• A Doctor of Optometry who has served as President of both POA and AOA.

Honorary Member

• An individual who has rendered meritorious service to the POA or to Optometry, as recommended by the POA Board of Directors and conferred by the House of Delegates.

2024 POA Membership Dues Structure

Membership in organized optometry begins with the Pennsylvania Optometric Association (POA). When you join the POA, you are also joining the American Optometric Association (AOA) and your local optometric society. In this way, you are represented at the local, state, and national level and contribute to every aspect of your profession. 

The membership year is from January 1 through December 31. Dues for new/reinstated members are prorated for the AOA, POA, and local societies based on the month in which the member joins/rejoins. (Prorating is not available to any individual who has been a POA/AOA member within the same year of rejoining.)

Members are considered “in good standing” if at least 25% of dues have been paid by the end of each calendar quarter and paid in full by October 31. To ease payment of your dues, sign up for an automatic charge to your credit card, either 1 full, 2 semi-annual, 4 quarterly, or 10 monthly payments.

ACTIVE MEMBER DUES

Dues for an Active Member are as follows:

AOA: $972              POA: $900               Local Society: $25-100

Total: $1897 - $1972

ASCENDING SCALE – NEW GRADUATES

Dues for new graduates are assessed on a sliding scale.

Year of original graduation:                                               Free

First calendar year after graduation:                               10% of active dues

Second calendar year after graduation:                          20% of active dues

Third year calendar after graduation:                              50% of active dues

Fourth calendar year after graduation:                           75% of active dues

Fifth & subsequent calendar years:                                 100% of active dues

DUES FOR CATEGORIES OTHER THAN ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP

• Partial practice members pay 50% of full Active POA member dues (AOA 60%). Local society dues vary.
• Post-Graduate members pay dues of $35 to AOA, and no dues to POA or their local society. Residents begin the sliding scale for new graduates the year following their residency.
• Federal Services members do not pay POA dues, and pay dues either through AOA or AFOS. Local society dues vary.
• Educator members pay 50% of POA and AOA dues. Local society dues vary.
• Life members do not pay dues to POA, AOA or their local society.
• Retired members pay 20% of full Active member POA dues. AOA dues are $100 with benefits and $0 without benefits. Local society dues vary.
• Associate member dues are $75 per year to POA, and are required to hold AOA membership through another affiliate. Local society dues vary.
• Student members do not pay dues to POA or AOA.

LOCAL SOCIETY DUES

Anthracite Optometric Society: $60

Berks County Optometric Society: $50

Bucks-Montgomery Optometric Society: $75

Central PA Optometric Society: $40

Chester-Delaware Optometric Society: $50

Lancaster County Optometric Society: $50

Lehigh Valley Optometric Society: $75

Mid-Counties Optometric Society: $30

Northeastern PA Optometric Society: $45

Northern Optometric Society: $35

Northwestern Optometric Society: $25

Philadelphia County Optometric Society: $50

Southwestern Optometric Society: $40

Western PA Optometric Society: $100