Optometrists Salary in the US
A optometrists earns a national median of $136,570 a year (mean $141,550) — BLS OEWS May 2025, ranked #50 of 825.
How much does a optometrists earn in the US?
A optometrists in the United States earns a median of $136,570 a year (mean $141,550), per BLS OEWS May 2025. That is 168% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980. About 42,790 people work in this occupation (SOC 29-1041), ranked #50 of 825 by national median pay. Updated annually from BLS OEWS.
Median
$136,570
per year
Mean
$141,550
per year
Employment
42,790
US workers
National rank
#50
of 825 by median
What a optometrists earns in the US
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025 national estimates, a optometrists (SOC 29-1041) earns a median annual wage of $136,570 and a mean (average) of $141,550. The median is the midpoint — half of optometrists earn more and half earn less — and is 168% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980. The mean is higher than the median when a minority of very high earners pull the average up.
Note: BLS top-codes any annual wage at or above $239,200/year, so occupations at that ceiling share the same figure.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average salary for a optometrists in the US?
- The BLS OEWS May 2025 national annual median wage for optometrists is $136,570, and the mean (average) is $141,550. The median is the midpoint — half of optometrists earn more and half earn less.
- How does optometrists pay compare to the US average?
- At $136,570, a optometrists earns 168% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The all-occupations US median is $50,980.
- How many optometrists are employed in the US?
- BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates about 42,790 optometrists employed nationally (SOC 29-1041), across all industries.
- Where does this optometrists salary data come from?
- From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 national release — cross-industry, all-ownership estimates, SOC code 29-1041. As US federal government work it is public domain. GeraJobs publishes the figures verbatim; suppressed cells are shown as "—", never estimated.
Compare nearby occupations
- Petroleum Engineers$144,910
- Political Scientists$142,080
- Managers, All Other$141,900
- Pharmacists$140,910
- Computer and Information Research Scientists$140,300
- Database Architects$139,500
- Software Developers$135,980
- Physician Assistants$135,880
- Aerospace Engineers$134,960
- Computer Network Architects$134,050
- Nurse Midwives$134,040
- Nuclear Engineers$133,970
Find optometrists jobs with salary ranges
GeraJobs lists live US vacancies with employer-stated salary ranges — see which optometrists roles pay above the BLS benchmark.
Data source
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) · May 2025 national estimates · SOC 29-1041 · Public domain (U.S. federal government work)
Published verbatim by GeraJobs. Last updated: 2026-06-27. ← All US salaries