Is this a competitive Optometrists salary in New York in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS August 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$95K
P25$128K
P50$161K
P75$176K
P90$203K
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Demand: HOT. Demand is hot -- health care job openings are running at 5.4% (JOLTS, August 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 3.6% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 3.2-3.7% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $161,138 to $175,739 (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 3.6% wage growth of Health Care & Social Assistance (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · HOT
Health Care & Social Assistance is running a 5.4% job-openings rate with quits at 2.0% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted down from 5.9% to 5.4% 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
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%.
Sep 1, 2026JOLTS July 2026: sector openings rose to 5.7% (up 54K; June revised to 5.5%), retaking the tightest-market spot. Quits steady at 1.9%.
Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings fell from 5.9% to 5.3% (down 147K), the sharpest monthly cooling this year, though still the second-tightest market.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS August 2026, ECI Q2 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 New York is $161,138 per year ($77.47/hr). This is 18% higher 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: New York
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · National adjusted
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
vs National
P10Entry level
$45.89
$95,451
+27.5%
P25
$61.49
$127,899
+16.9%
P50MEDIAN
$77.47
$161,138
+18.0%
P75
$84.49
$175,739
+6.4%
P90Top earners
$97.62
$203,050
+0.4%
How New York compares for Optometrists
Computed from this state's own BLS distribution against national
Pay for Optometrists in New York is above national (+27.5%) at entry but in line with national (+0.4%) at the top, so local pay sits relatively lower toward the senior end of the range.
An offer at the national median of $136,573 would sit at about the 30th percentile in New York.
The top of the range earns 2.13 times the bottom here against 2.70 times nationally, so pay for this role is more compressed between entry and senior levels in New York.
New York employs 2,390 people in this role, 5.6% 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)
See the complete picture
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median optometrists salary in New York?
The median (P50) annual salary for Optometrists in New York is approximately $161,138, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 18% higher 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.
