The average salary for an optometrist in the United States is around $96,226 per year.
Avg Salary
Optometrists earn an average yearly salary of $96,226.
Wages typically start from $47,420 and go up to $195,266.
70% above national average Updated in 2023
Optometrist earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level optometrist earnings begin at:
$93.88 per hour
$195,266 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level optometrist earnings begin at:
$67.14 per hour
$139,651 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level optometrist earnings begin at:
$46.26 per hour
$96,226 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level optometrist earnings begin at:
$31.88 per hour
$66,304 per year
10th percentile
Starting level optometrist earnings begin at:
$22.80 per hour
$47,420 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Optometrist salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Florida | $99,510 |
| Utah | $99,510 |
| West Virginia | $97,480 |
| Rhode Island | $96,790 |
| South Carolina | $95,540 |
| Idaho | $78,280 |
| Puerto Rico | $42,760 |
| District of Columbia | $157,320 |
| Maryland | $134,900 |
| New Jersey | $130,840 |
| North Carolina | $130,070 |
| Alaska | $129,650 |
| New York | $129,520 |
| Arizona | $128,690 |
| Connecticut | $128,320 |
| California | $128,190 |
| Massachusetts | $128,020 |
| Nevada | $127,640 |
| North Dakota | $127,610 |
| Colorado | $127,520 |
| Minnesota | $127,340 |
| Hawaii | $127,270 |
| Oregon | $127,240 |
| Wyoming | $127,240 |
| Maine | $126,520 |
| Missouri | $126,000 |
| Wisconsin | $125,580 |
| Michigan | $124,300 |
| Georgia | $124,090 |
| Nebraska | $123,360 |
| Pennsylvania | $121,580 |
| Washington | $121,570 |
| New Hampshire | $121,530 |
| Vermont | $121,070 |
| Mississippi | $120,910 |
| Virginia | $120,740 |
| Indiana | $120,400 |
| Texas | $118,800 |
| Illinois | $116,260 |
| Louisiana | $106,010 |
| Delaware | $105,060 |
| Iowa | $102,790 |
| New Mexico | $102,650 |
| South Dakota | $102,510 |
| Kentucky | $102,280 |
| Alabama | $102,190 |
| Ohio | $102,000 |
| Kansas | $101,680 |
| Oklahoma | $101,370 |
| Arkansas | $101,340 |
| Tennessee | $100,730 |
| Montana | $100,230 |
How do optometrist salaries compare to similar careers?
Optometrists earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than dentists but more than nuclear medicine technologists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Dentist salary | $128K |
| Neuropsychologist salary | $115K |
| Nurse practitioner salary | $121K |
| Physician assistant salary | $111K |
| Pharmacist salary | $107K |
| Optometrist salary | $96K |
| Geneticist salary | $96K |
| Audiologist salary | $92K |
| Certified nurse midwife salary | $89K |
| Nuclear medicine technologist salary | $89K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)