occupation · 29-1041 · detailed
Optometrists — wages and employment
Optometrists earned a median annual wage of $134,830 in the United States in May 2024, with 41,890 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Optometrists earned a median annual wage of $134,830 in the United States in May 2024, with 41,890 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $70,060 or less, the best-paid tenth $203,210 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $131,860 to $134,830, +2.3 %. The best-paying state is Alaska at $165,830; the lowest Idaho at $66,880. Among metropolitan areas, La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN pays the highest median, $176,930. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 41,890 | $134,830 | $140,940 | $70,060 | $103,310 | $163,710 | $203,210 | $64.82 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 41,390 | $131,860 | $143,000 | $64,980 | $101,650 | $162,070 | $204,100 | $63.39 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $165,830 | 70 |
| New York | $163,040 | 2,500 |
| Maryland | $157,830 | 870 |
| Washington | $157,650 | 930 |
| New Jersey | $156,000 | 950 |
| Vermont | $156,000 | 100 |
| New Mexico | $154,630 | 140 |
| District of Columbia | $154,300 | 60 |
| North Carolina | $153,750 | 1,400 |
| Massachusetts | $150,820 | 1,120 |
| Minnesota | $150,020 | 700 |
| Nevada | $146,760 | 360 |
| Rhode Island | $144,360 | 220 |
| Connecticut | $143,000 | 410 |
| Delaware | $137,910 | 180 |
| Wisconsin | $137,650 | 750 |
| South Carolina | $137,450 | 480 |
| Colorado | $137,370 | 980 |
| California | $137,070 | 6,790 |
| Hawaii | $136,670 | 230 |
| Illinois | $136,200 | 1,670 |
| Arizona | $134,430 | 960 |
| Maine | $133,470 | 170 |
| Kentucky | $132,000 | 500 |
| Michigan | $131,700 | 1,330 |
| New Hampshire | $130,310 | 200 |
| West Virginia | $130,190 | 150 |
| Ohio | $130,000 | 1,450 |
| Alabama | $129,700 | 470 |
| Georgia | $129,690 | 860 |
| Florida | $129,500 | 2,280 |
| North Dakota | $128,940 | 180 |
| Kansas | $128,510 | 460 |
| Texas | $128,360 | 3,180 |
| Pennsylvania | $128,260 | 1,530 |
| Indiana | $127,080 | 960 |
| Utah | $124,830 | 410 |
| Louisiana | $120,080 | 230 |
| Iowa | $119,990 | 460 |
| Oregon | $119,980 | 560 |
| South Dakota | $118,980 | 200 |
| Nebraska | $116,850 | 370 |
| Missouri | $113,030 | 660 |
| Tennessee | $110,660 | 590 |
| Puerto Rico | $109,980 | 210 |
| Montana | $108,600 | 150 |
| Mississippi | $107,600 | 250 |
| Arkansas | $99,970 | 350 |
| Oklahoma | $98,890 | 580 |
| Wyoming | $88,410 | 90 |
| Idaho | $66,880 | 270 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | $176,930 | 40 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $165,870 | 80 |
| Reno, NV | $165,060 | 80 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $165,050 | 70 |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | $164,560 | 40 |
| Syracuse, NY | $163,400 | 120 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $163,320 | 720 |
| Anchorage, AK | $162,980 | 40 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $162,820 | 550 |
| New Haven, CT | $162,450 | 110 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $162,090 | 90 |
| Fayetteville, NC | $161,820 | 40 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $161,120 | 90 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $160,520 | 2,410 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $160,390 | 170 |
| Boulder, CO | $159,830 | 70 |
| Dover, DE | $159,700 | 30 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $159,190 | 50 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $157,750 | 980 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $156,810 | 30 |
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