BLS metro-level wage data places Optometrists pay in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC at a median of $166,880 per year ($80.23/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $136,570, Durham-Chapel Hill pays +22% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 40 optometristss are employed across the Durham-Chapel Hill MSA in SOC 29-1041.

The Durham-Chapel Hill pay distribution spans from $100,870 at the 10th percentile to $217,510 at the 90th — a 2.2× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $121,080 and the 75th at $205,000, so half of Durham-Chapel Hill-based optometristss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Durham-Chapel Hill, NC covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide NC data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.