Optometrists
Optometrists earn an average annual salary of $146,732, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 9.7% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Optometrists workforce.
Employment Over Time
6,790 Workforce in 2023
The Optometrists workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Optometrists.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$146,732 Average Wage
In 2023, Optometrists earned an average of $146,732.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Optometrists.
Salary distribution for Optometrists.
Employment Growth Projections
6.9% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
37,598 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 39.5%
52,434 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 94.5%
This occupation is projected to grow at 6.9% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Optometrists.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Optometrists and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Optometrists employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Optometrists.
Wage Trends by Industry
0.1% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Optometrists.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Optometrists.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 6,540 employees, $146,765 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Optometrists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 1,810 employees, $134,845 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 920 employees, $141,072 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 560 employees, $165,818 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 550 employees, $143,538 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 540 employees, $149,228 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 490 employees, $159,038 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 380 employees, $160,784 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 380 employees, $157,903 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 160 employees, $143,199 avg wage
- Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 120 employees, $137,631 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Optometrists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Optometrists in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Optometrists in 2023 was 6,790 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Optometrists.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Optometrists.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Optometrists.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Optometrists in 2023 were Business Administration, Health Sciences, Business.
Common majors for Optometrists.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Optometrists workers.
Education level distribution for Optometrists.
Skills
Optometrists need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Writing, Speaking.
Required skills for Optometrists.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Optometrists.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Optometrists include Medicine and Dentistry, Biology, Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Mathematics.
Knowledge areas required for Optometrists.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Optometrists include Problem Sensitivity, Oral Expression, Inductive Reasoning, Near Vision, Written Comprehension.
Required abilities for Optometrists.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Optometrists.
Daily Activities
Optometrists spend their time on activities such as Assisting and Caring for Others, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Documenting/Recording Information, Getting Information.
Most important work activities for Optometrists.
About
Optometrists
The average yearly wage for Optometrists was $146,732 in 2023.
SOC Code
29-1041 - Optometrists
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Optometrists reports an average salary of $146,732, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 6,790 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 6.9%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.