29 Series · SOC 29-1041
Optometrists Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $136,570
- Median / year
- $202,180
- Top 10% earn
- +8%
- Growth '23–'33
- 42,790
- US workers
Optometrists earn a median of $136,570 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $136,570, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $74,870 (10th percentile) to $202,180 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 42,790 US workers. Alaska pays the most ($170,310), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Optometrists earn a median of $136,570, putting them among the better-paid US occupations and higher than 94% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Healthcare Practitioners and Technical, it ranks #27 of 71 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 8% by 2033.
- $136,570
- Median annual wage
- Top 6%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #27 of 71
- in Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- 2.7×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Alaska at $170,310. Typical entry-level education: Doctoral or professional degree.
Optometrists (SOC 29-1041) pays a national median of $136,570 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $74,870 at the 10th percentile to $202,180 at the 90th, with a mean of $141,550 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 42,790 Americans work in this occupation across 52 reporting states and 241 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +8% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as faster than average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 2,400 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. 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. Alaska pays the highest state median at $170,310, which is +25% above the national figure. The top metro is La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN at $175,810 - 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
$136,570
per year
Median Hourly
$65.66/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$141,550
average
Employment
42,790
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Optometrists pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$136,570 Top 6% higher than 94% 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 Optometrists; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 25 29-series occupations with growth data, Optometrists sits on the faster-growing side at +8% growth and $136,570 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+8%
Faster than average
Annual Openings
2,400
per year (projected)
Typical Education
Doctoral or professional degree
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 Optometrists roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Examine eyes, using observation, instruments, and pharmaceutical agents, to determine visual acuity and perception, focus, and coordination and to diagnose diseases and other abnormalities, such as glaucoma or color blindness.
- ▸ Analyze test results and develop a treatment plan.
- ▸ Prescribe, supply, fit and adjust eyeglasses, contact lenses, and other vision aids.
- ▸ Prescribe medications to treat eye diseases if state laws permit.
- ▸ Educate and counsel patients on contact lens care, visual hygiene, lighting arrangements, and safety factors.
- ▸ Remove foreign bodies from the eye.
- ▸ Provide patients undergoing eye surgeries, such as cataract and laser vision correction, with pre- and post-operative care.
- ▸ Consult with and refer patients to ophthalmologist or other health care practitioner if additional medical treatment is determined necessary.
- ▸ Prescribe therapeutic procedures to correct or conserve vision.
- ▸ Provide vision therapy and low-vision rehabilitation.
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
$74,870
25th Percentile
$109,400
Median
$136,570
75th Percentile
$165,120
90th Percentile
$202,180
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 52 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $170,310 | +25% above national |
| 2 | Maryland | $165,840 | +21% above national |
| 3 | North Carolina | $161,560 | +18% above national |
| 4 | Delaware | $161,270 | +18% above national |
| 5 | New York | $161,140 | +18% above national |
| 6 | New Jersey | $159,040 | +16% above national |
| 7 | Minnesota | $158,700 | +16% above national |
| 8 | Washington | $157,560 | +15% above national |
| 9 | Hawaii | $154,620 | +13% above national |
| 10 | Maine | $154,110 | +13% above national |
| 11 | Colorado | $152,000 | +11% above national |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $151,730 | +11% above national |
| 13 | Florida | $151,670 | +11% above national |
| 14 | Connecticut | $150,340 | +10% above national |
| 15 | South Carolina | $145,950 | +7% above national |
| 16 | Illinois | $145,620 | +7% above national |
| 17 | Alabama | $145,090 | +6% above national |
| 18 | New Mexico | $144,660 | +6% above national |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $139,720 | +2% above national |
| 20 | Kansas | $138,580 | +1% above national |
| 21 | Vermont | $137,290 | +1% above national |
| 22 | California | $136,300 | same as national |
| 23 | Michigan | $135,650 | 1% below national |
| 24 | Nevada | $135,650 | 1% below national |
| 25 | Indiana | $135,500 | 1% below national |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $135,400 | 1% below national |
| 27 | Ohio | $134,850 | 1% below national |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $134,840 | 1% below national |
| 29 | Rhode Island | $134,520 | 2% below national |
| 30 | Tennessee | $134,170 | 2% below national |
| 31 | Missouri | $133,810 | 2% below national |
| 32 | Puerto Rico | $132,790 | 3% below national |
| 33 | North Dakota | $132,110 | 3% below national |
| 34 | Oregon | $132,020 | 3% below national |
| 35 | Virginia | $131,570 | 4% below national |
| 36 | Kentucky | $128,860 | 6% below national |
| 37 | Georgia | $128,830 | 6% below national |
| 38 | Texas | $126,000 | 8% below national |
| 39 | New Hampshire | $125,560 | 8% below national |
| 40 | Iowa | $125,380 | 8% below national |
| 41 | Nebraska | $125,040 | 8% below national |
| 42 | Arkansas | $124,470 | 9% below national |
| 43 | Arizona | $122,250 | 10% below national |
| 44 | Utah | $119,070 | 13% below national |
| 45 | Louisiana | $118,060 | 14% below national |
| 46 | West Virginia | $118,010 | 14% below national |
| 47 | Wyoming | $111,400 | 18% below national |
| 48 | Mississippi | $108,070 | 21% below national |
| 49 | Montana | $104,280 | 24% below national |
| 50 | Idaho | $103,390 | 24% below national |
| 51 | South Dakota | $102,320 | 25% below national |
| 52 | Oklahoma | $97,350 | 29% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 241 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | $175,810 | +29% above national |
| 2 | Asheville, NC | $167,980 | +23% above national |
| 3 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $167,810 | +23% above national |
| 4 | Anchorage, AK | $167,000 | +22% above national |
| 5 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $166,880 | +22% above national |
| 6 | Peoria, IL | $166,600 | +22% above national |
| 7 | Albuquerque, NM | $165,810 | +21% above national |
| 8 | Dover, DE | $165,660 | +21% above national |
| 9 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $165,640 | +21% above national |
| 10 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $165,360 | +21% above national |
| 11 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $164,020 | +20% above national |
| 12 | Wilmington, NC | $163,800 | +20% above national |
| 13 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $163,290 | +20% above national |
| 14 | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $163,240 | +20% above national |
| 15 | Birmingham, AL | $162,890 | +19% above national |
| 16 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $162,690 | +19% above national |
| 17 | Winston-Salem, NC | $162,540 | +19% above national |
| 18 | Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $162,010 | +19% above national |
| 19 | Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $161,850 | +19% above national |
| 20 | Jacksonville, FL | $161,560 | +18% above national |
| 21 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $161,540 | +18% above national |
| 22 | Portland-South Portland, ME | $161,220 | +18% above national |
| 23 | Huntsville, AL | $161,170 | +18% above national |
| 24 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $161,030 | +18% above national |
| 25 | Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | $160,680 | +18% above national |
| 26 | Killeen-Temple, TX | $160,460 | +17% above national |
| 27 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $160,090 | +17% above national |
| 28 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $159,790 | +17% above national |
| 29 | Rochester, NY | $159,380 | +17% above national |
| 30 | Savannah, GA | $159,330 | +17% above national |
| 31 | Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area | $158,280 | +16% above national |
| 32 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $158,130 | +16% above national |
| 33 | Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | $157,970 | +16% above national |
| 34 | Tucson, AZ | $157,650 | +15% above national |
| 35 | Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $157,380 | +15% above national |
| 36 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $157,210 | +15% above national |
| 37 | Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | $157,140 | +15% above national |
| 38 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $156,990 | +15% above national |
| 39 | North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $156,580 | +15% above national |
| 40 | Columbia, SC | $156,350 | +14% above national |
| 41 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $155,960 | +14% above national |
| 42 | Vallejo, CA | $155,950 | +14% above national |
| 43 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $154,970 | +13% above national |
| 44 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $154,690 | +13% above national |
| 45 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $154,660 | +13% above national |
| 46 | Barnstable Town, MA | $154,290 | +13% above national |
| 47 | East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $154,240 | +13% above national |
| 48 | Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | $154,050 | +13% above national |
| 49 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $153,980 | +13% above national |
| 50 | Syracuse, NY | $153,790 | +13% above national |
| 51 | Boulder, CO | $153,500 | +12% above national |
| 52 | Ocala, FL | $152,880 | +12% above national |
| 53 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $150,640 | +10% above national |
| 54 | New Haven, CT | $150,640 | +10% above national |
| 55 | Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $150,520 | +10% above national |
| 56 | Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $150,420 | +10% above national |
| 57 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $150,340 | +10% above national |
| 58 | Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $150,080 | +10% above national |
| 59 | Appleton, WI | $150,060 | +10% above national |
| 60 | Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | $150,010 | +10% above national |
| 61 | Worcester, MA | $149,600 | +10% above national |
| 62 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $149,510 | +9% above national |
| 63 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $149,380 | +9% above national |
| 64 | Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $149,040 | +9% above national |
| 65 | Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $148,840 | +9% above national |
| 66 | South Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $146,400 | +7% above national |
| 67 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $145,630 | +7% above national |
| 68 | Roanoke, VA | $144,900 | +6% above national |
| 69 | Green Bay, WI | $144,840 | +6% above national |
| 70 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $144,270 | +6% above national |
| 71 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $144,260 | +6% above national |
| 72 | Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $143,700 | +5% above national |
| 73 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $142,720 | +5% above national |
| 74 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $142,690 | +4% above national |
| 75 | Wausau, WI | $142,690 | +4% above national |
| 76 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $142,580 | +4% above national |
| 77 | Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $142,280 | +4% above national |
| 78 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $141,770 | +4% above national |
| 79 | Reno, NV | $141,230 | +3% above national |
| 80 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $140,790 | +3% above national |
| 81 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $140,160 | +3% above national |
| 82 | Lubbock, TX | $140,070 | +3% above national |
| 83 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $139,910 | +2% above national |
| 84 | Chico, CA | $139,890 | +2% above national |
| 85 | Reading, PA | $139,400 | +2% above national |
| 86 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $139,060 | +2% above national |
| 87 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $139,030 | +2% above national |
| 88 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $139,020 | +2% above national |
| 89 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $139,000 | +2% above national |
| 90 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $138,940 | +2% above national |
| 91 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $138,580 | +1% above national |
| 92 | Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $138,580 | +1% above national |
| 93 | South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | $138,360 | +1% above national |
| 94 | Springfield, MO | $138,160 | +1% above national |
| 95 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $138,130 | +1% above national |
| 96 | Corpus Christi, TX | $138,120 | +1% above national |
| 97 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $137,590 | +1% above national |
| 98 | Modesto, CA | $137,480 | +1% above national |
| 99 | Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area | $137,290 | +1% above national |
| 100 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $137,250 | same as national |
| 101 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $136,920 | same as national |
| 102 | Fresno, CA | $136,730 | same as national |
| 103 | Springfield, MA | $136,680 | same as national |
| 104 | Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $136,590 | same as national |
| 105 | Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area | $136,550 | same as national |
| 106 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $136,250 | same as national |
| 107 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $136,200 | same as national |
| 108 | Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $136,070 | same as national |
| 109 | Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $136,070 | same as national |
| 110 | Cleveland, OH | $135,880 | 1% below national |
| 111 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $135,720 | 1% below national |
| 112 | Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area | $135,600 | 1% below national |
| 113 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $135,460 | 1% below national |
| 114 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $135,330 | 1% below national |
| 115 | Visalia, CA | $135,160 | 1% below national |
| 116 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $135,090 | 1% below national |
| 117 | York-Hanover, PA | $134,990 | 1% below national |
| 118 | Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | $134,830 | 1% below national |
| 119 | Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area | $134,770 | 1% below national |
| 120 | Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $134,660 | 1% below national |
| 121 | Salem, OR | $134,590 | 1% below national |
| 122 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $134,420 | 2% below national |
| 123 | Albany, GA | $134,250 | 2% below national |
| 124 | Erie, PA | $134,230 | 2% below national |
| 125 | Flint, MI | $134,030 | 2% below national |
| 126 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $133,820 | 2% below national |
| 127 | Evansville, IN | $133,800 | 2% below national |
| 128 | Ann Arbor, MI | $133,770 | 2% below national |
| 129 | Columbus, OH | $133,370 | 2% below national |
| 130 | Salinas, CA | $133,350 | 2% below national |
| 131 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $133,280 | 2% below national |
| 132 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $133,010 | 3% below national |
| 133 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $132,790 | 3% below national |
| 134 | Bloomington, IL | $132,740 | 3% below national |
| 135 | Fargo, ND-MN | $132,690 | 3% below national |
| 136 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $132,390 | 3% below national |
| 137 | Lancaster, PA | $132,360 | 3% below national |
| 138 | El Paso, TX | $132,240 | 3% below national |
| 139 | Clarksville, TN-KY | $132,200 | 3% below national |
| 140 | Ogden, UT | $132,160 | 3% below national |
| 141 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $132,130 | 3% below national |
| 142 | Colorado Springs, CO | $131,980 | 3% below national |
| 143 | St. Cloud, MN | $131,960 | 3% below national |
| 144 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $131,890 | 3% below national |
| 145 | Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | $131,770 | 4% below national |
| 146 | West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $131,290 | 4% below national |
| 147 | Akron, OH | $131,210 | 4% below national |
| 148 | Richmond, VA | $131,080 | 4% below national |
| 149 | Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $131,060 | 4% below national |
| 150 | Topeka, KS | $130,930 | 4% below national |
| 151 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $130,710 | 4% below national |
| 152 | Toledo, OH | $130,640 | 4% below national |
| 153 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $130,460 | 4% below national |
| 154 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $130,450 | 4% below national |
| 155 | Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $130,390 | 5% below national |
| 156 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $129,990 | 5% below national |
| 157 | Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area | $129,990 | 5% below national |
| 158 | Pittsburgh, PA | $129,900 | 5% below national |
| 159 | Bend, OR | $129,810 | 5% below national |
| 160 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $129,780 | 5% below national |
| 161 | Southwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area | $129,620 | 5% below national |
| 162 | Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $129,590 | 5% below national |
| 163 | Amarillo, TX | $129,490 | 5% below national |
| 164 | North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $129,420 | 5% below national |
| 165 | Fort Wayne, IN | $129,390 | 5% below national |
| 166 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $129,370 | 5% below national |
| 167 | Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area | $129,250 | 5% below national |
| 168 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $129,150 | 5% below national |
| 169 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $129,080 | 5% below national |
| 170 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $129,020 | 6% below national |
| 171 | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $128,890 | 6% below national |
| 172 | North Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $128,870 | 6% below national |
| 173 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $128,830 | 6% below national |
| 174 | Northwestern Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $128,700 | 6% below national |
| 175 | Southwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $128,600 | 6% below national |
| 176 | College Station-Bryan, TX | $128,500 | 6% below national |
| 177 | Southern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | $128,230 | 6% below national |
| 178 | Madison, WI | $128,220 | 6% below national |
| 179 | Lynchburg, VA | $128,010 | 6% below national |
| 180 | Longview, TX | $127,840 | 6% below national |
| 181 | North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | $127,810 | 6% below national |
| 182 | Tyler, TX | $127,300 | 7% below national |
| 183 | Canton-Massillon, OH | $127,190 | 7% below national |
| 184 | Omaha, NE-IA | $127,110 | 7% below national |
| 185 | Central Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $127,060 | 7% below national |
| 186 | West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | $126,670 | 7% below national |
| 187 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $126,600 | 7% below national |
| 188 | Lincoln, NE | $126,510 | 7% below national |
| 189 | Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $126,180 | 8% below national |
| 190 | Kansas nonmetropolitan area | $126,150 | 8% below national |
| 191 | Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $125,950 | 8% below national |
| 192 | Eugene-Springfield, OR | $125,760 | 8% below national |
| 193 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $125,530 | 8% below national |
| 194 | Northeastern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $125,410 | 8% below national |
| 195 | Knoxville, TN | $125,090 | 8% below national |
| 196 | Northeast Nebraska nonmetropolitan area | $125,050 | 8% below national |
| 197 | South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $125,050 | 8% below national |
| 198 | Mid Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $124,850 | 9% below national |
| 199 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $124,640 | 9% below national |
| 200 | Manchester-Nashua, NH | $124,470 | 9% below national |
| 201 | Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $124,470 | 9% below national |
| 202 | North Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $124,000 | 9% below national |
| 203 | Wichita, KS | $123,940 | 9% below national |
| 204 | North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) | $123,160 | 10% below national |
| 205 | Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | $123,160 | 10% below national |
| 206 | Northwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $122,820 | 10% below national |
| 207 | Jackson, MS | $122,770 | 10% below national |
| 208 | North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $122,610 | 10% below national |
| 209 | Northern Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $122,550 | 10% below national |
| 210 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $122,150 | 11% below national |
| 211 | Columbus, GA-AL | $121,830 | 11% below national |
| 212 | Bismarck, ND | $121,100 | 11% below national |
| 213 | Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $119,490 | 13% below national |
| 214 | Traverse City, MI | $118,030 | 14% below national |
| 215 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $115,960 | 15% below national |
| 216 | Baton Rouge, LA | $115,210 | 16% below national |
| 217 | Johnson City, TN | $115,210 | 16% below national |
| 218 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $114,360 | 16% below national |
| 219 | Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area | $114,360 | 16% below national |
| 220 | South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $114,110 | 16% below national |
| 221 | Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $114,110 | 16% below national |
| 222 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $111,780 | 18% below national |
| 223 | South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area | $109,990 | 19% below national |
| 224 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $109,200 | 20% below national |
| 225 | Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $108,910 | 20% below national |
| 226 | Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $106,480 | 22% below national |
| 227 | Oklahoma City, OK | $104,870 | 23% below national |
| 228 | Upper East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | $104,240 | 24% below national |
| 229 | Boise City, ID | $103,890 | 24% below national |
| 230 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $103,670 | 24% below national |
| 231 | West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $103,530 | 24% below national |
| 232 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $102,860 | 25% below national |
| 233 | Southeast Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $102,150 | 25% below national |
| 234 | Tulsa, OK | $100,250 | 27% below national |
| 235 | East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area | $97,530 | 29% below national |
| 236 | Northeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | $93,760 | 31% below national |
| 237 | Coast Oregon nonmetropolitan area | $86,680 | 37% below national |
| 238 | Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $86,250 | 37% below national |
| 239 | High Desert Utah nonmetropolitan area | $81,710 | 40% below national |
| 240 | St. George, UT | $79,990 | 41% below national |
| 241 | Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | $75,730 | 45% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 29 (healthcare practitioners) with comparable pay and career paths.
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What to do with this data
How to use Optometrists pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $165,120/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: Alaska leads at $170,310/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.