The median annual optometrist salary in the United States is $125,590, according to the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for optometrists (May 2025 data). That figure places optometry firmly among the higher-paying healthcare professions, though actual earnings range widely depending on where you practice, how long you’ve been in the field, and the type of setting you work in. If you’re a pre-health student researching how much an optometrist makes, the numbers below will give you a clear, source-verified picture.
Optometry is worth understanding not just as a salary question but as a career question. The profession sits at the intersection of primary care, diagnostics, and patient relationships, and it requires a four-year doctoral program after undergraduate study. For students weighing different healthcare paths, knowing the financial reality of optometry alongside what the work actually involves is a practical first step.
What an Optometrist Does and Where They Work
Optometrists, who hold the Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree, are primary healthcare providers for the eye. Their clinical responsibilities include performing comprehensive eye exams, diagnosing and managing conditions like glaucoma, conjunctivitis, and diabetic retinopathy, and prescribing corrective lenses. They also provide pre- and post-operative care for patients undergoing cataract surgery or other procedures performed by ophthalmologists. According to the American Optometric Association, optometrists are distinct from ophthalmologists (who are MDs or DOs and perform surgery) and from opticians (who fit and dispense lenses but do not diagnose or treat).
Most optometrists work in private practices, either solo or group. Others are employed in physician offices, outpatient care centers, retail optical chains, hospitals, or corporate settings. A smaller number work in academic institutions, the military, or public health agencies. The work setting has a direct effect on compensation, autonomy, and the kinds of patients you see, which is why salary data broken down by industry matters more than a single national average.
The profession also carries significant variety in day-to-day work. An optometrist in a community health center may spend much of the day managing chronic eye disease in underserved populations, while one in a retail setting may focus more heavily on refractions and contact lens fittings. Both are legitimate expressions of the O.D. degree, but the clinical mix, pace, and pay can differ considerably.
National Optometrist Salary Data for 2026
All figures in this section come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release. This is the most current federal wage data available as of 2026.
The national median annual wage for optometrists is $125,590. The national mean (average) annual wage is slightly higher at $130,830. The difference between median and mean reflects the fact that a subset of high earners, often practice owners or those in lucrative metro areas, pulls the average upward.
Salary by Percentile
Looking at the full distribution gives a more honest picture of what optometrists earn at different career stages and circumstances.
The lowest 10% of earners make less than $70,060 per year. This bracket often includes early-career optometrists, those working part-time, or those in lower-paying markets. The 25th percentile sits at $95,780, the 75th percentile at $157,940, and the top 10% earn more than $199,860. That top bracket typically reflects experienced practitioners, practice owners, or optometrists in high-cost, high-demand markets.
Top-Paying States
Geographic location is one of the strongest predictors of optometrist pay. The five highest-paying states by mean annual wage are:
California at $158,580, Washington at $157,010, Hawaii at $154,610, North Carolina at $154,300, and Minnesota at $151,800.
On the lower end, Kentucky reports a mean annual wage of $89,120, West Virginia $90,920, Alabama $97,970, and Arkansas $98,330. Puerto Rico, classified separately, reports $56,760. These differences reflect local cost of living, demand for eye care providers, population density, and insurance reimbursement patterns. A higher salary in California or Hawaii does not necessarily translate to more purchasing power once housing and taxes are factored in.
Pay by Industry and Practice Setting
Where you work matters as much as where you live. The BLS breaks out mean annual wages by industry, and the variation is notable.
Optometrists employed by management companies and enterprises report the highest mean wage at $171,970. Those in offices of physicians earn $148,880 on average, followed by outpatient care centers at $138,510. Optometrists working in offices of optometrists, which represents the most common employment setting, earn a mean of $122,030. Hospital-based optometrists report $118,520.
These numbers make sense when you consider that optometrists embedded in multi-specialty physician practices or corporate health systems may benefit from higher patient volumes, broader referral networks, or performance-based compensation. Private practice optometrists have more autonomy but also shoulder overhead costs that reduce take-home pay relative to gross revenue.
How Experience Shapes Optometrist Earnings
The BLS percentile data serves as a rough proxy for experience, though it is not a direct experience-to-salary mapping. In general, newly licensed optometrists entering associate positions or starting employment in established practices tend to earn in the lower quartiles. Within five to ten years, most full-time optometrists move into the middle or upper-middle range, especially if they are building a patient base or developing subspecialty skills.
Practice ownership is a significant variable. An optometrist who owns a successful private practice can earn well above the 90th percentile, but ownership also comes with business risk, loan obligations, staffing challenges, and management responsibilities. Salaried positions offer more predictable income and benefits but typically cap out lower than a thriving private practice.
Subspecialization in areas like pediatric optometry, low vision rehabilitation, or ocular disease management can also influence earning potential, though the BLS does not break out salary data by subspecialty. Optometrists who pursue residency training after their O.D. program may start their careers slightly later but often command higher starting offers in specialized roles.
Job Outlook for Optometrists
The BLS projects 9% employment growth for optometrists over the 2022 to 2032 period, which is faster than the average for all occupations. This growth is expected to produce approximately 1,700 new openings per year, on average, over the decade. The demand is driven by an aging population that requires more frequent eye care, rising rates of diabetes (which increases the need for retinal screening), and growing awareness of the importance of routine vision exams.
It is worth noting that approximately 42,970 optometrists are currently employed in the U.S. The field is relatively small compared to medicine or nursing, which means that geographic distribution of practitioners matters. Rural and underserved areas consistently report difficulty attracting optometrists, which can create both higher-paying opportunities and student loan repayment incentives for those willing to practice outside major metro areas.
For pre-health students considering optometry, these projections are encouraging but not guaranteed. Local job markets, the pace of new O.D. program graduates, and shifts in insurance coverage all affect real-world job availability. The Accreditation Council on Optometric Education maintains a list of accredited programs, and reviewing the number of graduates relative to demand in your target region is a practical step.
What Pre-Health Students Should Know Before Committing
Optometry requires a four-year Doctor of Optometry program after completing prerequisite undergraduate coursework, which typically includes biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics. Admission to O.D. programs is competitive, and most require the Optometry Admission Test (OAT). The total educational investment, including undergraduate and professional school, generally spans eight years.
The financial picture for optometry students includes significant student loan debt. While the salary data above is strong relative to many professions, students should factor in tuition costs, interest rates, and the time to full earning capacity when comparing optometry to other healthcare careers. Loan repayment programs, especially those tied to serving in underserved areas, can meaningfully offset this burden for those who qualify.
Shadowing an optometrist is one of the most useful steps a pre-health student can take before applying to O.D. programs. Observing the pace of patient encounters, the diagnostic reasoning involved, and the interpersonal dynamics of the provider-patient relationship gives you grounded information that no salary chart can provide. If you’re comparing optometry to other healthcare paths, pay close attention to the daily work, not just the compensation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an optometrist the same as an ophthalmologist?
No. Optometrists hold a Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree and provide primary eye care, including exams, disease management, and prescribing corrective lenses. Ophthalmologists are medical doctors (MDs or DOs) who complete medical school and a residency, and they are licensed to perform eye surgery. Both collaborate frequently, but their training, scope of practice, and typical work differ significantly.
How much does an optometrist make in their first year of practice?
Entry-level earnings vary by location and setting, but the BLS reports that the lowest 10% of optometrists earn less than $70,060 per year (May 2025 data). First-year associate optometrists in private practices or retail settings often fall somewhere between this threshold and the 25th percentile of $95,780. Starting salary depends heavily on geographic market and whether the position is salaried or production-based.
Do optometrists earn more in private practice or employed positions?
It depends on the practice’s success and structure. BLS data shows that optometrists in offices of physicians earn a mean of $148,880, while those in offices of optometrists (which includes many private practices) earn a mean of $122,030. However, private practice owners who build a strong patient base can earn above the 90th percentile. Ownership also carries overhead costs and business risk that salaried positions do not.
