Optometrists Wages
SOC 29-1041 • Full occupation profile
The median annual wage for Optometrists is $131,860 nationally (2023 BLS OEWS). The 10th percentile is $64,980 and the 90th percentile is $204,100, showing the wide spread of wages in this occupation.
National Wage Distribution (2023)
Employment
41,390
P10
$64,980
P25
$101,650
Median
$131,860
P75
$162,070
P90
$204,100
National Wage Trend
How national median and mean wages for Optometrists have moved across BLS OEWS release years.
| Year | Median | Mean | P10 | P90 | Employment | YoY Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $131,860 | $143,000 | $64,980 | $204,100 | 41,390 | — |
| 2022 | $125,590 | $133,100 | $62,150 | $191,430 | 40,640 | -4.76% |
| 2021 | $124,300 | $125,440 | $61,590 | $192,390 | 38,720 | -1.03% |
| 2020 | $118,050 | $125,440 | $60,750 | $195,810 | 36,690 | -5.03% |
Wages by State (2023)
State-level OEWS wage estimates for Optometrists. The highest median is in Maryland at $163,510, 24% above the U.S. median.
| Area | Median Annual | vs National | Mean Annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $163,510 | +24% | $166,770 | 750 |
| New York | $157,480 | +19.4% | $152,450 | 2,010 |
| Alaska | $155,230 | +17.7% | $148,460 | 70 |
| New Mexico | $155,060 | +17.6% | $146,280 | 130 |
| North Carolina | $154,560 | +17.2% | $171,170 | 1,310 |
| District of Columbia | $149,990 | +13.7% | $148,610 | 70 |
| Connecticut | $147,260 | +11.7% | $151,270 | 380 |
| New Jersey | $146,700 | +11.3% | $141,870 | 1,290 |
| Massachusetts | $144,920 | +9.9% | $142,680 | 970 |
| Washington | $143,160 | +8.6% | $143,750 | 1,010 |
| Delaware | $141,020 | +6.9% | $141,480 | 170 |
| West Virginia | $139,080 | +5.5% | $135,680 | 160 |
| Vermont | $137,890 | +4.6% | $153,540 | 90 |
| Pennsylvania | $137,560 | +4.3% | $147,280 | 1,440 |
| Minnesota | $137,210 | +4.1% | $138,010 | 750 |
| Colorado | $136,900 | +3.8% | $143,910 | 960 |
| Wisconsin | $136,630 | +3.6% | $143,750 | 920 |
| Rhode Island | $135,160 | +2.5% | $146,950 | 150 |
| Hawaii | $134,540 | +2% | $143,970 | 240 |
| Maine | $134,220 | +1.8% | $147,470 | 160 |
| California | $134,020 | +1.6% | $137,330 | 6,190 |
| Arizona | $133,500 | +1.2% | $150,690 | 710 |
| Oregon | $132,200 | +0.3% | $130,280 | 520 |
| Illinois | $131,060 | -0.6% | $129,440 | 1,650 |
| Texas | $130,580 | -1% | $152,060 | 2,880 |
| Kentucky | $130,210 | -1.3% | $161,300 | 450 |
| New Hampshire | $129,720 | -1.6% | $161,030 | 190 |
| Arkansas | $129,680 | -1.7% | $146,360 | 250 |
| Michigan | $128,680 | -2.4% | $130,870 | 1,230 |
| North Dakota | $127,200 | -3.5% | $140,620 | 250 |
| Ohio | $126,650 | -4% | $129,000 | 1,860 |
| Florida | $125,480 | -4.8% | $130,950 | 2,520 |
| Louisiana | $124,920 | -5.3% | $131,460 | 230 |
| Kansas | $124,810 | -5.3% | $138,280 | 430 |
| South Carolina | $124,190 | -5.8% | $114,430 | 480 |
| Nebraska | $123,970 | -6% | $118,120 | 300 |
| Iowa | $122,320 | -7.2% | $122,970 | 490 |
| Utah | $121,250 | -8% | $139,280 | 430 |
| Indiana | $119,950 | -9% | $117,600 | 920 |
| Georgia | $119,900 | -9.1% | $123,070 | 1,150 |
| Nevada | $118,040 | -10.5% | $122,610 | 300 |
| Alabama | $117,900 | -10.6% | $115,970 | 490 |
| South Dakota | $109,480 | -17% | $115,290 | 190 |
| Montana | $108,950 | -17.4% | $123,890 | 140 |
| Tennessee | $107,510 | -18.5% | $127,850 | 680 |
| Mississippi | $105,530 | -20% | $124,000 | 280 |
| Wyoming | $104,390 | -20.8% | $115,400 | 70 |
| Missouri | $98,800 | -25.1% | $109,890 | 800 |
| Oklahoma | $97,670 | -25.9% | $105,720 | 510 |
| Idaho | $82,790 | -37.2% | $104,020 | 280 |
| Virginia | — | — | — | 1,480 |