How much do optometrists make?

Optometrist salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Optometrists (SOC 29-1041) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

Optometrists in the US earned a median of $136,570 a year ($65.66 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $109,400 to $165,120.

Median annual pay: $136,570; Mean $141,550
Median hourly pay: $65.66; Mean $68.05
Typical range (10th–90th): $74.9K–$202K; $74,870 to $202,180
US jobs: 42,790; +9.5% projected, 2025–35

BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology

How to become an optometrist: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: North Carolina

Optometrist pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$74,870
25th percentile$109,400
Median$136,570
75th percentile$165,120
90th percentile$202,180

Half of all optometrists earned more than $136,570 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $74,870; the top 10% made over $202,180. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $109,400 to $165,120.

These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.

Percentile	Annual	Hourly	Monthly
10th	$74,870	$35.99	$6,239
25th	$109,400	$52.59	$9,117
Median (50th)	$136,570	$65.66	$11,381
75th	$165,120	$79.39	$13,760
90th	$202,180	$97.20	$16,848
Mean (average)	$141,550	$68.05	$11,796

Optometrist salary by state

Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024

Median annual pay for optometrists by state. Darker tiles pay more.

Highest-paying states

1. Alaska $170,310
2. Maryland $165,840
3. North Carolina $161,560
4. Delaware $161,270
5. New York $161,140

Lowest-paying states

51. Oklahoma $97,350
50. South Dakota $102,320
49. Idaho $103,390
48. Montana $104,280
47. Mississippi $108,070

Best after cost of living: North Carolina. Its median of $161,560 is worth about $171,278 at national-average prices, more than in Alaska once prices are counted.


Alabama	$145,090	17	$163,347	3	$69.75	460	0.21
Alaska	$170,310	1	$166,385	2	$81.88	60	0.18
Arizona	$122,250	42	$121,428	44	$58.78	1,080	0.33
Arkansas	$124,470	41	$143,173	25	$59.84	320	0.25
California	$136,300	22	$123,103	42	$65.53	6,890	0.38
Colorado	$152,000	11	$147,498	14	$73.08	880	0.31
Connecticut	$150,340	14	$145,102	23	$72.28	490	0.29
Delaware	$161,270	4	$161,580	4	$77.54	190	0.38
District of Columbia	$134,840	28	$122,692	43	$64.83	50	0.07
Florida	$151,670	13	$146,663	17	$72.92	2,350	0.24
Georgia	$128,830	36	$133,790	35	$61.94	870	0.18
Hawaii	$154,620	9	$140,626	29	$74.34	230	0.36
Idaho	$103,390	49	$108,269	51	$49.71	160	0.19
Illinois	$145,620	16	$145,681	20	$70.01	1,540	0.25
Indiana	$135,500	25	$145,185	22	$65.14	1,040	0.32
Iowa	$125,380	39	$142,864	27	$60.28	450	0.29
Kansas	$138,580	20	$153,862	10	$66.63	660	0.46
Kentucky	$128,860	35	$142,925	26	$61.95	430	0.22
Louisiana	$118,060	44	$133,844	34	$56.76	250	0.13
Maine	$154,110	10	$158,794	6	$74.09	180	0.28
Maryland	$165,840	2	$158,005	7	$79.73	780	0.28
Massachusetts	$151,730	12	$143,470	24	$72.95	950	0.26
Michigan	$135,650	23	$140,983	28	$65.21	1,410	0.32
Minnesota	$158,700	7	$160,919	5	$76.30	710	0.24
Mississippi	$108,070	47	$124,286	41	$51.96	240	0.20
Missouri	$133,810	31	$147,340	15	$64.33	630	0.21
Montana	$104,280	48	$110,180	50	$50.14	140	0.28
Nebraska	$125,040	40	$138,775	31	$60.12	340	0.33
Nevada	$135,650	24	$135,678	33	$65.22	430	0.28
New Hampshire	$125,560	38	$120,540	45	$60.36	210	0.31
New Jersey	$159,040	6	$146,170	18	$76.46	1,380	0.32
New Mexico	$144,660	18	$156,878	8	$69.55	130	0.15
New York	$161,140	5	$149,313	11	$77.47	2,390	0.25
North Carolina	$161,560	3	$171,278	1	$77.67	1,140	0.23
North Dakota	$132,110	32	$148,507	12	$63.51	140	0.33
Ohio	$134,850	27	$145,353	21	$64.83	1,300	0.23
Oklahoma	$97,350	51	$110,823	49	$46.80	570	0.33
Oregon	$132,020	33	$127,727	40	$63.47	560	0.29
Pennsylvania	$135,400	26	$138,769	32	$65.10	1,720	0.28
Rhode Island	$134,520	29	$131,521	37	$64.67	250	0.50
South Carolina	$145,950	15	$155,682	9	$70.17	480	0.21
South Dakota	$102,320	50	$115,504	48	$49.19	190	0.41
Tennessee	$134,170	30	$146,043	19	$64.51	660	0.20
Texas	$126,000	37	$129,821	39	$60.58	4,110	0.29
Utah	$119,070	43	$120,438	46	$57.25	380	0.22
Vermont	$137,290	21	$140,152	30	$66.01	90	0.31
Virginia	$131,570	34	$130,133	38	$63.25	1,110	0.27
Washington	$157,560	8	$147,234	16	$75.75	760	0.21
West Virginia	$118,010	45	$131,859	36	$56.74	150	0.22
Wisconsin	$139,720	19	$148,488	13	$67.17	790	0.27
Wyoming	$111,400	46	$120,184	47	$53.56	90	0.33

BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure. State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for optometrists

182 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN	$175,810	$191,579	40
Asheville, NC	$167,980	$174,062	40
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$167,810	$150,999	420
Anchorage, AK	$167,000	$158,414	30
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC	$166,880	$171,033	40
Peoria, IL	$166,600	$182,613	50
Albuquerque, NM	$165,810	$173,539	70
Dover, DE	$165,660	$169,895	30
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY	$165,640	$172,823	160
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	$165,360	$153,418	80

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	2,580	$161,030	$143,058
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	2,360	$138,940	$122,343
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	1,250	$124,640	$126,373
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	1,180	$142,580	$123,325
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	1,160	$145,630	$140,576
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	890	$153,980	$150,145
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	870	$140,790	$136,570
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	860	$115,960	$112,238
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	820	$125,530	$109,965
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	770	$154,690	$142,069

BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).

What moves optometrist pay: employers and settings

Work setting moves optometrist pay more than almost anything else. About 64% work in offices of other health practitioners, mostly optometry practices, with a median of $129,250 for that group. Optometrists in physicians' offices, often working alongside ophthalmologists, have a median of $145,630 for that setting. The highest-paid group is in outpatient care centers, at a median of $207,030 for that setting, while general medical and surgical hospitals report a median of $159,790 for that group. Federal jobs, such as those at the VA, have a median of $115,210 for that group.

Ownership matters too. BLS counts only 5% of optometrists as self-employed, but practice owners and partners earn from the business's profit, including eyewear sales, so their pay depends on patient volume and costs. Location matters as well: Alaska has the highest state median at $170,310, while the lowest state median listed is Oklahoma at $97,350. Overall, the 10th percentile is $74,870, and the 90th percentile is $202,180, for this occupation.

Where optometrists work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
Offices of Other Health Practitioners	64%	$129,250
Offices of Physicians	14.1%	$145,630
Outpatient Care Centers	4%	$207,030
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	1.1%	$159,790
Federal Executive Branch	1.1%	$115,210
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	0.3%	$124,430

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	42,070	$136,960
Federal government (incl. Postal Service)	460	$115,210
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	120	$134,460

BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).

Optometrist pay over time

Median annual pay, 2015–2025

$137K $104K

2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Nominal median (dollars of each year)In May 2025 dollars (adjusted with CPI-U)

The median rose from $103,900 in 2015 to $136,570 in 2025, up 31% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $140,452 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay fell 3% over the period.

BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.

What optometrists do

An optometrist is the eye doctor most people see for routine care. Optometrists hold a Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree, not an M.D., and they examine eyes, test vision and prescribe glasses and contact lenses. That is only part of the job. They also diagnose and manage eye diseases such as glaucoma, dry eye, eye infections and diabetic retinopathy, prescribe eye drops and other medications within state limits, and track conditions over years of visits.

Optometrists work in private practices, group practices with ophthalmologists, retail optical stores, hospitals, community health centers and the VA. They use equipment such as slit lamps, retinal cameras and OCT scanners to look inside the eye. When they find cataracts that need surgery, a detached retina or another problem beyond their scope, they refer the patient to an ophthalmologist, a medical doctor who performs eye surgery, and often handle the follow-up care. Some specialize in children's vision, low vision, specialty contact lenses or vision therapy.

A typical day

Run eye exams and test how well patients see at different distances
Write prescriptions for glasses and fit contact lenses
Check eye pressure and image the retina to screen for glaucoma and other disease
Treat infections, dry eye and inflammation with eye drops and other medications
Monitor patients with diabetes or glaucoma at regular follow-up visits
Refer patients to ophthalmologists for surgery and co-manage their recovery
Explain results and eye care to patients and parents

Also called: optometry doctor (od), therapeutic optometrist.

How to become an optometrist

Full guide

To become an optometrist, you finish at least 3 years of college (usually a bachelor's degree), take the Optometry Admission Test, complete a 4-year Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) program accredited by the ACOE, pass the NBEO board exams and get a state license, which takes about 8 years after high school.

Typical time: 8 years (9 with a residency); Fastest: About 7 years
Minimum education: Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree from a program accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE)
License: Required in all 50 states and DC
Typical training cost: $141K–$226K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming an optometrist: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.

Is it worth it? Training cost against pay

Compare careers

Training time: 8 years (9 with a residency); Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $141K–$226K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $136,570; $85,590 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 103–166%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($85,590 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in about 1.6–2.6 years after training ends (8 years (9 with a residency) in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.

Job outlook for optometrists

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +9.5%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 45,100; 49,400 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 2,000; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: 5%; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects optometrist jobs to grow 9.5% from 2025 to 2035, from 45,100 to 49,400, much faster than the 3.5% expected for all occupations. That means about 2,000 openings a year, mostly to replace optometrists who retire or leave. An aging population drives much of the demand, since cataracts, macular degeneration and glaucoma become more common with age. Rising rates of nearsightedness, digital eye strain from screens and diabetes-related eye disease add to it.

Related careers and their pay

Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

Optometrist salary FAQ

How much do optometrists make an hour?

The median hourly wage for optometrists was $65.66 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $35.99 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $97.20. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays optometrists the most?

Alaska has the highest median pay for optometrists, $170,310 a year, followed by Maryland ($165,840) and North Carolina ($161,560). After adjusting for each state's price level, North Carolina comes out ahead at about $171,278 in national-average dollars.

Do optometrists make $200,000 a year?

Some do: based on the BLS percentiles, between 10% and 25% of optometrists earn more than $200,000 a year. The median is $136,570, and the top 10% earn more than $202,180. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

What is the difference between an optometrist and an ophthalmologist?

An optometrist holds a Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree, about four years after college, and provides primary eye care: exams, glasses and contact lenses, and diagnosis and treatment of many eye diseases with medication. An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor (M.D. or D.O.) who completes medical school and a residency and performs eye surgery, such as cataract removal. The two often work together, with optometrists referring surgical cases and handling follow-up care.

Can optometrists prescribe medication?

Yes, within limits set by state law. Optometrists commonly prescribe medications for eye conditions, such as antibiotic eye drops for infections and drops that lower eye pressure in glaucoma. Each state's optometry law decides exactly which drugs they may prescribe, including oral medications, and which procedures they may perform, so scope of practice varies considerably from one state to another. Check the rules where you plan to work.

Do optometrists do surgery?

Not major surgery: cataract removal and retinal surgery are done by ophthalmologists. Where state law permits, optometrists may perform minor surgical procedures, and some states also allow certain laser procedures. The NBEO offers a Laser and Surgical Procedures Examination (LSPE) for optometrists in states that permit these procedures. Check the scope of practice where you plan to work.

Sources

Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 29-1041
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (29-1041.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
Optometrists, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
About the ACOE, Accreditation Council on Optometric Education · checked October 28, 2026
Optometry Admission Test, Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry / ADA Department of Testing Services · checked October 28, 2026
Doctor of Optometry Tuition and Fees, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry · checked October 28, 2026
NBEO Exams and Exam Fees, National Board of Examiners in Optometry · checked October 28, 2026
Certification Process, American Board of Optometry · checked October 28, 2026
License Finder, CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor · checked October 28, 2026
FAQs about Residencies, Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry · checked October 28, 2026
Test Center Information, National Board of Examiners in Optometry · checked October 28, 2026

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