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The national median salary for Optometrists is $136,573 per year ($65.66/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $109,387 and $165,131 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $202,176 per year. There are approximately 42,790 optometrists employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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. May prescribe therapeutic drugs to treat specific eye conditions. Ophthalmologists are included in “Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric” (29-1241).
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+8.0%
Much faster than average
Annual openings
2K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
48K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
16% from new growth84% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Doctoral or professional degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Offices of Other Health Practitioners
NAICS 621300
27K
$129,250
Offices of Physicians
NAICS 621100
6K
$145,630
Outpatient Care Centers
NAICS 621400
2K
$207,030
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 622100
470
$159,790
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
460
$115,210
Wage range across top 5 industries: $115,210 to $207,030 (80% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$35.99
$74,859
P25
$52.59
$109,387
P50MEDIAN
$65.66
$136,573
P75
$79.39
$165,131
P90
$97.20
$202,176
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · health sector
Hot
Openings Rate
5.4%
Quits Rate
1.9%
Health Care & Social Assistance openings rebounded to 1.36M (+87K) in March with rate at 5.4%. Hires rose to 700K (+75K). The sector remains structurally tight; compensation pressure persists for clinical roles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average optometrists salary?
The national median salary for Optometrists is $136,573 per year ($65.66/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $109,387 and $165,131 annually.
How much do top-earning optometrists make?
The 90th percentile salary for Optometrists is $202,176 per year ($97.20/hr). The 75th percentile is $165,131 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for optometrists?
Entry-level Optometrists (10th percentile) earn approximately $74,859 per year ($35.99/hr). The 25th percentile is $109,387 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.