BLS metro-level wage data places Optometrists pay in Lexington-Fayette, KY at a median of $139,060 per year ($66.85/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $136,570, Lexington-Fayette pays +2% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 40 optometristss are employed across the Lexington-Fayette MSA in SOC 29-1041.

The Lexington-Fayette pay distribution spans from $78,920 at the 10th percentile to $276,860 at the 90th — a 3.5× 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 $93,580 and the 75th at $175,660, so half of Lexington-Fayette-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 Lexington-Fayette, KY 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 KY data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.