Is this a competitive Optometrists salary in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS September 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q3 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$56K
P25$105K
P50$130K
P75$162K
P90$182K
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Demand: HOT. Demand is hot -- health care job openings are running at 5.8% (JOLTS, September 2026), a tight market. Candidates have leverage, so a competitive offer sits at or above the median; below-median offers often will not close.
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Merit budget: Wages in health care are rising about 3.7% a year (BLS ECI, Q3 2026). Budget a 3.3-3.8% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $130,458 to $162,302 (market median to the 75th percentile). Lean toward the top of the range for senior or hard-to-fill roles.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Optometrists pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role rose 1.3% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.7% wage growth of Health Care & Social Assistance (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · HOT
Health Care & Social Assistance is running a 5.8% job-openings rate with quits at 2.0% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted up from 5.5% to 5.8% over the past quarter.
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 2.7 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is wider than typical, so expect large pay differences by experience, employer size, and geography; build generous ranges and differentiate strongly.
What changed recently
Nov 3, 2026JOLTS September 2026: sector openings at 5.8% (down 35K). BLS revised August up from 5.4% to 5.9%, so last month's pullback largely did not happen. Still the tightest major sector; layoffs fell 70K.
Oct 30, 2026ECI Q3 2026: health care and social assistance wages rose 3.7% over the year (3.6% in Q2), the fastest of the sectors we track.
Sep 29, 2026JOLTS August 2026: sector openings fell to 5.4% (down 115K; July revised up to 5.8%), still the tightest major sector. Quits held at 2.0%.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS September 2026, ECI Q3 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The median salary for Optometrists in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos is $130,458 per year ($62.72/hr). This is 4.5% lower than the national median of $136,573.
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).
Wage Percentiles: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · BLS metro data
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
vs National
P10Entry level
$27.07
$56,306
-24.8%
P25
$50.69
$105,435
-3.6%
P50MEDIAN
$62.72
$130,458
-4.5%
P75
$78.03
$162,302
-1.7%
P90Top earners
$87.70
$182,416
-9.8%
How Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos compares for Optometrists
Computed from this metro's own BLS distribution against national
Pay for Optometrists in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos sits below the national range at every level: -24.8% at entry, -4.5% at the median and -9.8% at the top. The gap is larger at the top than at entry.
An offer at the national median of $136,573 would sit at about the 55th percentile in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos.
The top of the range earns 3.24 times the bottom here against 2.70 times nationally, so pay for this role varies more between entry and senior levels in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos.
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos employs 350 people in this role, 0.8% of the national total.
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P10–P90 breakdown, career outlook, industry wages, and JOLTS market signal for Optometrists
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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 2 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
Wage range across top 5 industries: $129,250 to $145,630 (13% spread)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median optometrists salary in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
The median (P50) annual salary for Optometrists in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos is approximately $130,458, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 4.5% lower than the national median of $136,573. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.
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.
