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 8% less than similar careers in the United States. On average, they make less than nurse anesthetists but more than nuclear medicine technologists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Nurse anesthetist salary | $213K |
| Dentist salary | $128K |
| 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)