BLS metro-level wage data places Optometrists pay in La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN at a median of $175,810 per year ($84.52/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $136,570, La Crosse-Onalaska pays +29% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 40 optometristss are employed across the La Crosse-Onalaska MSA in SOC 29-1041.

The La Crosse-Onalaska pay distribution spans from $110,530 at the 10th percentile to $224,140 at the 90th — a 2.0× 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 $131,040 and the 75th at $196,980, so half of La Crosse-Onalaska-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 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN 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 WI data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.