Average Salary for Optometrists
SOC 29-1041 · Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations · 2024 data
The median annual wage for Optometrists in the United States is $134,830 ($64.82/hr), based on 2024 BLS OEWS data. Wages range from $70,060 at the 10th percentile to $203,210 at the 90th percentile nationally. An estimated 41,890 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has grown 33% since 2014.
Median Annual
$134,830
Mean Annual
$140,940
10th Pct
$70,060
75th Pct
$163,710
Employment
41,890
Salary Distribution
$70k
10th
$103k
25th
$135k
Median
$164k
75th
$203k
90th
Highest Paying Metro Areas
| Metro Area | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | $176,930 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $165,870 |
| Reno, NV | $165,060 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $165,050 |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | $164,560 |
| Syracuse, NY | $163,400 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $163,320 |
| Anchorage, AK | $162,980 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $162,820 |
| New Haven, CT | $162,450 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $162,090 |
| Fayetteville, NC | $161,820 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $161,120 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $160,520 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $160,390 |
Salary by State
| State | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $165,830 |
| New York | $163,040 |
| Maryland | $157,830 |
| Washington | $157,650 |
| New Jersey | $156,000 |
| Vermont | $156,000 |
| New Mexico | $154,630 |
| District of Columbia | $154,300 |
| North Carolina | $153,750 |
| Massachusetts | $150,820 |
| Minnesota | $150,020 |
| Nevada | $146,760 |
| Rhode Island | $144,360 |
| Connecticut | $143,000 |
| Delaware | $137,910 |
| Wisconsin | $137,650 |
| South Carolina | $137,450 |
| Colorado | $137,370 |
| California | $137,070 |
| Hawaii | $136,670 |
| Illinois | $136,200 |
| Arizona | $134,430 |
| Maine | $133,470 |
| Kentucky | $132,000 |
| Michigan | $131,700 |
| New Hampshire | $130,310 |
| West Virginia | $130,190 |
| Ohio | $130,000 |
| Alabama | $129,700 |
| Georgia | $129,690 |
| Florida | $129,500 |
| North Dakota | $128,940 |
| Kansas | $128,510 |
| Texas | $128,360 |
| Pennsylvania | $128,260 |
| Indiana | $127,080 |
| Utah | $124,830 |
| Louisiana | $120,080 |
| Iowa | $119,990 |
| Oregon | $119,980 |
| South Dakota | $118,980 |
| Nebraska | $116,850 |
| Missouri | $113,030 |
| Tennessee | $110,660 |
| Puerto Rico | $109,980 |
| Montana | $108,600 |
| Mississippi | $107,600 |
| Arkansas | $99,970 |
| Oklahoma | $98,890 |
| Wyoming | $88,410 |
| Idaho | $66,880 |
Salary by Industry
National median wage for Optometrists broken down by industry sector, 2024 data.
| Industry | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Outpatient Care Centers | $196,800 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $163,040 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $163,040 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $163,040 |
| Employment Services | $161,510 |
| Administrative and Support Services | $160,260 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $160,260 |
| All Other Ambulatory Health Care Services | $159,960 |
| Other Ambulatory Health Care Services | $159,960 |
| Health and Personal Care Retailers | $157,280 |
| Health and Personal Care Retailers | $157,280 |
| Retail Trade | $156,790 |
| Social Assistance | $153,990 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $153,590 |
| Hospitals | $147,080 |
| Offices of Physicians | $145,600 |
| Offices of All Other Health Practitioners | $143,010 |
| General Merchandise Retailers | $142,380 |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $135,130 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | $132,840 |
| Ambulatory Health Care Services | $132,630 |
| State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $128,680 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | $127,990 |
| Offices of Optometrists | $127,980 |
| Educational Services | $118,250 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $116,720 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $114,090 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $113,030 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $113,030 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $113,030 |
| Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $113,030 |
| Educational Services | $107,840 |
| Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | $89,370 |
National Wage Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $134,830 |
| 2023 | $131,860 |
| 2022 | $125,590 |
| 2021 | $124,300 |
| 2020 | $118,050 |
| 2019 | $115,250 |
| 2018 | $111,790 |
| 2017 | $110,300 |
| 2016 | $106,140 |
| 2015 | $103,900 |
| 2014 | $101,410 |