29 Series · SOC 29-1241
Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $300,080
- Median / year
- $489,710
- Top 10% earn
- +4.3%
- Growth '23–'33
- 8,950
- US workers
Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric earn a median of $300,080 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $300,080, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $100,180 (10th percentile) to $489,710 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 8,950 US workers. Rhode Island pays the most ($450,370), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric earn a median of $300,080, putting them among the better-paid US occupations and higher than 99% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Healthcare Practitioners and Technical, it ranks #12 of 71 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 4.3% by 2033.
- $300,080
- Median annual wage
- Top 1%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #12 of 71
- in Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- 4.9×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Rhode Island at $450,370. Typical entry-level education: Doctoral or professional degree.
Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric (SOC 29-1241) pays a national median of $300,080 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $100,180 at the 10th percentile to $489,710 at the 90th, with a mean of $304,650 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 8,950 Americans work in this occupation across 34 reporting states and 30 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +4.3% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as about average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 300 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Doctoral or professional degree and internship/residency of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of A for this role, with a fatality rate of 0.7 per 100,000 and injury rate of 1.5 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Rhode Island pays the highest state median at $450,370, which is +50% above the national figure. The top metro is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $700,850 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$300,080
per year
Median Hourly
$144.27/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$304,650
average
Employment
8,950
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$300,080 Top 1% higher than 99% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 29-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 25 29-series occupations with growth data, Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric sits on the slower-growing side at +4.3% growth and $300,080 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+4.3%
About average
Annual Openings
300
per year (projected)
Typical Education
Doctoral or professional degree
On-the-Job Training
Internship/residency
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Very Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
0.7/100K
Injury Rate
1.5/100
Danger Index
6.4/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Perform comprehensive examinations of the visual system to determine the nature or extent of ocular disorders.
- ▸ Diagnose or treat injuries, disorders, or diseases of the eye and eye structures including the cornea, sclera, conjunctiva, or eyelids.
- ▸ Provide or direct the provision of postoperative care.
- ▸ Develop or implement plans and procedures for ophthalmologic services.
- ▸ Prescribe or administer topical or systemic medications to treat ophthalmic conditions and to manage pain.
- ▸ Develop treatment plans based on patients' histories and goals, the nature and severity of disorders, and treatment risks and benefits.
- ▸ Perform ophthalmic surgeries such as cataract, glaucoma, refractive, corneal, vitro-retinal, eye muscle, or oculoplastic surgeries.
- ▸ Educate patients about maintenance and promotion of healthy vision.
- ▸ Document or evaluate patients' medical histories.
- ▸ Perform, order, or interpret the results of diagnostic or clinical tests.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$100,180
25th Percentile
$173,650
Median
$300,080
75th Percentile
$421,530
90th Percentile
$489,710
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 34 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $450,370 | +50% above national |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $404,330 | +35% above national |
| 3 | California | $400,150 | +33% above national |
| 4 | Florida | $399,440 | +33% above national |
| 5 | Iowa | $394,900 | +32% above national |
| 6 | Georgia | $382,920 | +28% above national |
| 7 | Minnesota | $372,200 | +24% above national |
| 8 | New York | $360,050 | +20% above national |
| 9 | Nevada | $345,600 | +15% above national |
| 10 | Maine | $337,850 | +13% above national |
| 11 | Oregon | $334,450 | +11% above national |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $325,200 | +8% above national |
| 13 | Texas | $323,010 | +8% above national |
| 14 | Alabama | $305,200 | +2% above national |
| 15 | Washington | $304,830 | +2% above national |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $304,290 | +1% above national |
| 17 | Colorado | $288,050 | 4% below national |
| 18 | Illinois | $284,630 | 5% below national |
| 19 | Ohio | $271,270 | 10% below national |
| 20 | Arkansas | $259,320 | 14% below national |
| 21 | Vermont | $258,910 | 14% below national |
| 22 | Tennessee | $231,040 | 23% below national |
| 23 | Missouri | $228,410 | 24% below national |
| 24 | Oklahoma | $215,760 | 28% below national |
| 25 | South Carolina | $214,160 | 29% below national |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $213,890 | 29% below national |
| 27 | South Dakota | $211,990 | 29% below national |
| 28 | Maryland | $211,770 | 29% below national |
| 29 | Utah | $188,490 | 37% below national |
| 30 | Michigan | $179,720 | 40% below national |
| 31 | Virginia | $177,410 | 41% below national |
| 32 | Indiana | $168,600 | 44% below national |
| 33 | Louisiana | $155,250 | 48% below national |
| 34 | Kentucky | $101,940 | 66% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 30 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $700,850 | +134% above national |
| 2 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $433,520 | +44% above national |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $429,080 | +43% above national |
| 4 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $412,900 | +38% above national |
| 5 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $399,020 | +33% above national |
| 6 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $389,450 | +30% above national |
| 7 | Worcester, MA | $387,810 | +29% above national |
| 8 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $359,980 | +20% above national |
| 9 | Portland-South Portland, ME | $337,850 | +13% above national |
| 10 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $332,670 | +11% above national |
| 11 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $325,200 | +8% above national |
| 12 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $320,450 | +7% above national |
| 13 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $302,410 | +1% above national |
| 14 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $298,430 | 1% below national |
| 15 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $284,630 | 5% below national |
| 16 | Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $280,210 | 7% below national |
| 17 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $269,700 | 10% below national |
| 18 | Rochester, NY | $269,570 | 10% below national |
| 19 | Eugene-Springfield, OR | $260,000 | 13% below national |
| 20 | Winston-Salem, NC | $258,750 | 14% below national |
| 21 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $255,480 | 15% below national |
| 22 | Syracuse, NY | $239,000 | 20% below national |
| 23 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $232,300 | 23% below national |
| 24 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $226,640 | 24% below national |
| 25 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $218,380 | 27% below national |
| 26 | Oklahoma City, OK | $215,760 | 28% below national |
| 27 | Rapid City, SD | $211,990 | 29% below national |
| 28 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $210,490 | 30% below national |
| 29 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $182,490 | 39% below national |
| 30 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $168,600 | 44% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 29 (healthcare practitioners) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric make? ▼
What state pays Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric? ▼
How dangerous is being a Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric? ▼
Is Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric a good career? ▼
How does Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric pay vary by state? ▼
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What to do with this data
How to use Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $421,530/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Rhode Island leads at $450,370/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.