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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023

29-1041 Optometrists

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).


National estimates for Optometrists
Industry profile for Optometrists
Geographic profile for Optometrists

National estimates for Optometrists:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Optometrists:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
41,390 1.7 % $ 68.75 $ 143,000 1.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for Optometrists:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 31.24 $ 48.87 $ 63.39 $ 77.92 $ 98.13
Annual Wage (2) $ 64,980 $ 101,650 $ 131,860 $ 162,070 $ 204,100


Industry profile for Optometrists:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Optometrists are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Optometrists, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Optometrists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 25,110 2.20 $ 63.24 $ 131,530
Offices of Physicians 7,420 0.26 $ 85.64 $ 178,120
Health and Personal Care Retailers 5,350 0.48 $ 69.15 $ 143,840
Outpatient Care Centers 1,830 0.17 $ 84.48 $ 175,720
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) 480 0.02 $ 40.72 $ 84,700

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Optometrists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 25,110 2.20 $ 63.24 $ 131,530
Health and Personal Care Retailers 5,350 0.48 $ 69.15 $ 143,840
Offices of Physicians 7,420 0.26 $ 85.64 $ 178,120
Outpatient Care Centers 1,830 0.17 $ 84.48 $ 175,720
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 110 0.04 $ 51.85 $ 107,840

Top paying industries for Optometrists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services (8) (8) $ 94.90 $ 197,380
Offices of Physicians 7,420 0.26 $ 85.64 $ 178,120
Outpatient Care Centers 1,830 0.17 $ 84.48 $ 175,720
Health and Personal Care Retailers 5,350 0.48 $ 69.15 $ 143,840
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 440 0.01 $ 68.80 $ 143,100


Geographic profile for Optometrists:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Optometrists are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Optometrists, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of optometrists by state, May 2023


States with the highest employment level in Optometrists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 6,190 0.34 1.27 $ 66.02 $ 137,330
Texas 2,880 0.21 0.78 $ 73.10 $ 152,060
Florida 2,520 0.26 0.97 $ 62.96 $ 130,950
New York 2,010 0.21 0.79 $ 73.30 $ 152,450
Ohio 1,860 0.34 1.25 $ 62.02 $ 129,000


Map of location quotient of optometrists by state, May 2023


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Optometrists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Dakota 250 0.59 2.16 $ 67.61 $ 140,620
South Dakota 190 0.43 1.59 $ 55.43 $ 115,290
Hawaii 240 0.40 1.45 $ 69.22 $ 143,970
Virginia 1,480 0.37 1.37 (8) (8)
Delaware 170 0.37 1.37 $ 68.02 $ 141,480


Map of annual mean wages of optometrists by state, May 2023


Top paying states for Optometrists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Carolina 1,310 0.27 1.00 $ 82.29 $ 171,170
Maryland 750 0.28 1.03 $ 80.18 $ 166,770
Kentucky 450 0.23 0.84 $ 77.55 $ 161,300
New Hampshire 190 0.28 1.01 $ 77.42 $ 161,030
Vermont 90 0.30 1.10 $ 73.82 $ 153,540



Map of employment of optometrists by area, May 2023


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Optometrists:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,450 0.40 1.45 $ 63.00 $ 131,040
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 2,370 0.25 0.92 $ 69.07 $ 143,670
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 1,280 0.28 1.04 $ 64.04 $ 133,210
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 980 0.40 1.48 $ 75.65 $ 157,350
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 810 0.29 1.05 $ 79.03 $ 164,390
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 800 0.25 0.92 $ 60.92 $ 126,720
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 790 0.20 0.73 $ 93.07 $ 193,590
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 760 0.24 0.90 $ 84.47 $ 175,700
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 750 0.27 1.01 $ 44.18 $ 91,890
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 730 0.27 0.98 $ 69.07 $ 143,670


Map of location quotient of optometrists by area, May 2023


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Optometrists:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Albany, GA 50 0.90 3.32 $ 62.08 $ 129,130
Grand Forks, ND-MN 50 0.90 3.31 $ 71.93 $ 149,620
Rocky Mount, NC 40 0.76 2.80 $ 83.64 $ 173,980
Wilmington, NC 110 0.74 2.71 $ 98.97 $ 205,850
Bismarck, ND 50 0.72 2.63 $ 66.89 $ 139,140
Dothan, AL 40 0.66 2.43 $ 61.18 $ 127,250
Twin Falls, ID 30 0.64 2.36 (8) (8)
Dover, DE 40 0.58 2.14 $ 65.96 $ 137,190
Cleveland-Elyria, OH 580 0.58 2.12 $ 61.10 $ 127,080
Fort Collins, CO 100 0.55 2.02 $ 80.80 $ 168,070


Map of annual mean wages of optometrists by area, May 2023


Top paying metropolitan areas for Optometrists:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV 50 0.49 1.80 $ 132.87 $ 276,380
Syracuse, NY 130 0.43 1.57 $ 112.19 $ 233,360
Wilmington, NC 110 0.74 2.71 $ 98.97 $ 205,850
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 790 0.20 0.73 $ 93.07 $ 193,590
Raleigh, NC 270 0.39 1.42 $ 89.79 $ 186,770
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ 30 0.24 0.89 $ 86.95 $ 180,850
Boulder, CO 60 0.31 1.14 $ 85.25 $ 177,310
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 760 0.24 0.90 $ 84.47 $ 175,700
Rocky Mount, NC 40 0.76 2.80 $ 83.64 $ 173,980
Manchester, NH 30 0.30 1.11 $ 81.20 $ 168,900

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Optometrists:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 110 0.27 0.99 $ 61.55 $ 128,030
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 110 0.42 1.55 $ 59.76 $ 124,290
Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 100 0.51 1.87 $ 67.67 $ 140,760
Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area 90 0.40 1.49 $ 51.69 $ 107,520
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 80 0.30 1.09 $ 57.62 $ 119,860

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Optometrists:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 40 0.64 2.36 $ 50.36 $ 104,740
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 60 0.53 1.95 $ 66.45 $ 138,220
Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 100 0.51 1.87 $ 67.67 $ 140,760
East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 70 0.50 1.82 $ 53.55 $ 111,380
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 50 0.49 1.81 $ 74.91 $ 155,820

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Optometrists:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 40 0.28 1.03 $ 81.84 $ 170,230
Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 30 0.12 0.44 $ 80.92 $ 168,310
South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 60 0.37 1.35 $ 77.59 $ 161,380
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 30 0.38 1.38 $ 75.39 $ 156,820
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 50 0.49 1.81 $ 74.91 $ 155,820


About May 2023 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2023 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 3, 2024