Optometrists pay in the U.S.
$141,550avg. a year
$68.05 an hour · 42,790 employed
Optometrists in the U.S. earn an average of $141,550 a year and a median of $136,570. Pay is highest in Alaska ($165,120) and lowest in Montana ($106,200).
$136,570Median pay
$68.05Average hourly
+13%Avg. pay since 2020
42,790Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for optometrists
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
160 jobs
Alaska
$165,120
$79.38 an hour
21,380 jobs
New Jersey
$161,110
$77.46 an hour
31,140 jobs
North Carolina
$161,030
$77.42 an hour
4180 jobs
Maine
$160,730
$77.27 an hour
5760 jobs
Washington
$159,380
$76.62 an hour
61,110 jobs
Virginia
$155,530
$74.78 an hour
7130 jobs
New Mexico
$153,180
$73.64 an hour
82,390 jobs
New York
$153,130
$73.62 an hour
9950 jobs
Massachusetts
$152,550
$73.34 an hour
10880 jobs
Colorado
$152,460
$73.30 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Optometrists pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $128k$128k–$141k$141k–$149k$149k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Wilmington, NC | $204,680 | $98.41 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $171,750 | $82.57 |
| Syracuse, NY | $170,410 | $81.93 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $164,790 | $79.23 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $160,020 | $76.94 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $157,350 | $75.65 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $156,260 | $75.13 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $156,180 | $75.09 |
Related jobs
- Registered Nurses$101,420
- Physicians, All Other$262,040
- Nurse Practitioners$137,300
- Pharmacists$140,920
- Physical Therapists$105,280
- Dental Hygienists$98,990
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Optometrists pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $137,460 | $145,090 | 460 |
| Alaska | $165,120 | $170,310 | 60 |
| Arizona | $135,280 | $122,250 | 1,080 |
| Arkansas | $125,460 | $124,470 | 320 |
| California | $147,420 | $136,300 | 6,890 |
| Colorado | $152,460 | $152,000 | 880 |
| Connecticut | $147,820 | $150,340 | 490 |
| Delaware | $142,820 | $161,270 | 190 |
| District of Columbia | $145,590 | $134,840 | 50 |
| Florida | $143,020 | $151,670 | 2,350 |
| Georgia | $128,630 | $128,830 | 870 |
| Hawaii | $149,920 | $154,620 | 230 |
| Idaho | $113,870 | $103,390 | 160 |
| Illinois | $143,720 | $145,620 | 1,540 |
| Indiana | $137,020 | $135,500 | 1,040 |
| Iowa | $123,250 | $125,380 | 450 |
| Kansas | $140,510 | $138,580 | 660 |
| Kentucky | $142,710 | $128,860 | 430 |
| Louisiana | $121,000 | $118,060 | 250 |
| Maine | $160,730 | $154,110 | 180 |
| Maryland | $148,910 | $165,840 | 780 |
| Massachusetts | $152,550 | $151,730 | 950 |
| Michigan | $144,610 | $135,650 | 1,410 |
| Minnesota | $151,450 | $158,700 | 710 |
| Mississippi | $126,580 | $108,070 | 240 |
| Missouri | $133,680 | $133,810 | 630 |
| Montana | $106,200 | $104,280 | 140 |
| Nebraska | $132,660 | $125,040 | 340 |
| Nevada | $137,020 | $135,650 | 430 |
| New Hampshire | $146,430 | $125,560 | 210 |
| New Jersey | $161,110 | $159,040 | 1,380 |
| New Mexico | $153,180 | $144,660 | 130 |
| New York | $153,130 | $161,140 | 2,390 |
| North Carolina | $161,030 | $161,560 | 1,140 |
| North Dakota | $132,080 | $132,110 | 140 |
| Ohio | $133,960 | $134,850 | 1,300 |
| Oklahoma | $114,710 | $97,350 | 570 |
| Oregon | $127,920 | $132,020 | 560 |
| Pennsylvania | $139,660 | $135,400 | 1,720 |
| Rhode Island | $145,800 | $134,520 | 250 |
| South Carolina | $129,570 | $145,950 | 480 |
| South Dakota | $118,060 | $102,320 | 190 |
| Tennessee | $120,920 | $134,170 | 660 |
| Texas | $124,760 | $126,000 | 4,110 |
| Utah | $128,180 | $119,070 | 380 |
| Vermont | $146,240 | $137,290 | 90 |
| Virginia | $155,530 | $131,570 | 1,110 |
| Washington | $159,380 | $157,560 | 760 |
| West Virginia | $130,750 | $118,010 | 150 |
| Wisconsin | $142,800 | $139,720 | 790 |
| Wyoming | $115,500 | $111,400 | 90 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$157,350
2,580 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$143,560
2,360 jobsHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$124,890
1,250 jobsSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$152,140
1,180 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$144,330
1,160 jobsPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
$148,970
890 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$132,620
870 jobsPhoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
$133,790
860 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do optometrists make?
The average is $141,550 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $136,570 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $68.05, and the median is $65.66 an hour.
Which state pays optometrists the most?
Alaska, with an average of $165,120 a year. The best-paying metro area is Wilmington, NC at $204,680.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $74,870 a year, and the top 10% earn over $202,180.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 29-1041. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.