How much does a Optometrists make?

The median annual wage for Optometrists is $136,570 ($66 per hour). Pay ranges from about $74,870 at the 10th percentile to $202,180 at the 90th percentile.

What is the average salary for a Optometrists?

The average (mean) annual salary is $141,550, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.

Which state pays Optometristss the most?

Alaska has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $170,310.

Is Optometrists a growing occupation?

BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 43K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.

What does a Optometrists do?

Examine eyes, using observation, instruments, and pharmaceutical agents, to determine visual acuity and perception, focus, and coordination and to diagnose diseases and other abnormalities, such as glaucoma or color blindness.; Analyze test results and develop a treatment plan.; Prescribe, supply, fit and adjust eyeglasses, contact lenses, and other vision aids..

Optometrists Salary

Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations · 43K employed in the U.S.

Median annual

$136,570

Median hourly

$66

Average annual

$141,550

Typical range

$74,870–$202,180

Pay distribution

10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.

10th$74,870

25th$109,400

Median$136,570

75th$165,120

90th$202,180

What this role pays

The median annual salary for Optometrists is $136,570 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $66 an hour at a full-time schedule.

Diagnose, manage, and treat conditions and diseases of the human eye and visual system. Examine eyes and visual system, diagnose problems or impairments, prescribe corrective lenses, and provide treatment.

Most earn between $74,870 and $202,180 a year. There are roughly 43K people employed as optometrists in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.

Salary calculator

Convert your pay and see where it lands for Optometrists.

Pay amountPay period

Hours / weekWeeks / year

Hourly: $65.66
Daily: $525
Weekly: $2,626
Bi-weekly: $5,253
Monthly: $11,381
Annual: $136,570

$136,570 a year is around the 50th percentile for Optometristss. The median is $136,570.

Optometrists — U.S., May 2025
Percentile	Hourly	Annual
10th percentile	$36.00	$74,870
25th percentile	$52.60	$109,400
Median	$65.70	$136,570
75th percentile	$79.40	$165,120
90th percentile	$97.20	$202,180
Average (mean)	$68.00	$141,550
Employment	42,790 people

Key skills

Reading Comprehension
Active Listening
Critical Thinking
Writing
Speaking
Social Perceptiveness
Science
Coordination
Complex Problem Solving
Judgment and Decision Making

Highest-paying states

Median annual wage by state.

1Alaska$170,310
2Maryland$165,840
3North Carolina$161,560
4Delaware$161,270
5New York$161,140
6New Jersey$159,040
7Minnesota$158,700
8Washington$157,560
9Hawaii$154,620
10Maine$154,110
11Colorado$152,000
12Massachusetts$151,730

Top-paying metro areas

Median annual wage by metro area.

1La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN$175,810
2Asheville, NC$167,980
3Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$167,810
4Anchorage, AK$167,000
5Durham-Chapel Hill, NC$166,880
6Peoria, IL$166,600
7Albuquerque, NM$165,810
8Dover, DE$165,660
9Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY$165,640
10Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$165,360
11Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY$164,020
12Wilmington, NC$163,800

Related job titles

Employers advertise Optometrists roles under these titles.

Related occupations

What a Optometrists does

Examine eyes, using observation, instruments, and pharmaceutical agents, to determine visual acuity and perception, focus, and coordination and to diagnose diseases and other abnormalities, such as glaucoma or color blindness.
Analyze test results and develop a treatment plan.
Prescribe, supply, fit and adjust eyeglasses, contact lenses, and other vision aids.
Prescribe medications to treat eye diseases if state laws permit.
Educate and counsel patients on contact lens care, visual hygiene, lighting arrangements, and safety factors.
Remove foreign bodies from the eye.
Provide patients undergoing eye surgeries, such as cataract and laser vision correction, with pre- and post-operative care.
Consult with and refer patients to ophthalmologist or other health care practitioner if additional medical treatment is determined necessary.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Optometrists make?: The median annual wage for Optometrists is $136,570 ($66 per hour). Pay ranges from about $74,870 at the 10th percentile to $202,180 at the 90th percentile.
What is the average salary for a Optometrists?: The average (mean) annual salary is $141,550, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
Which state pays Optometristss the most?: Alaska has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $170,310.
Is Optometrists a growing occupation?: BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 43K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
What does a Optometrists do?: Examine eyes, using observation, instruments, and pharmaceutical agents, to determine visual acuity and perception, focus, and coordination and to diagnose diseases and other abnormalities, such as glaucoma or color blindness.; Analyze test results and develop a treatment plan.; Prescribe, supply, fit and adjust eyeglasses, contact lenses, and other vision aids..