Optometrist salary

Optometrist earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level optometrist earnings begin at:

$93.32 per hour

$194,100 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level optometrist earnings begin at:

$68.65 per hour

$142,790 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level optometrist earnings begin at:

$55.41 per hour

$115,250 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level optometrist earnings begin at:

$42.20 per hour

$87,780 per year

10th percentile

Starting level optometrist earnings begin at:

$28.46 per hour

$59,200 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Optometrist salary by state

How much does an Optometrist earn?

There are different factors which come into play when it comes to determining how much an optometrist can earn, such as the type of practice an optometrist decides to work at. If an optometrist decides to go for private practice, it requires setting up a clinic and handling business matters while juggling the needs of the patients. According to the American Optometric Association, optometrists who have established their private practice earn more than those who are employed in hospitals, clinics and other institutions. This is because their earnings are boosted by the additional services that they provide plus the revenue from the eye care products they sell to their patients. Their revenue is not fixed to just the monthly salary - when the number of patients goes up, their profits increase as well.

Another option is to be employed under a more prominent hospital or clinic. An in-house optometrist will technically be employed by the institution and income will depend on the rate per consult fees or monthly salary. Other optometrists work in partnership with major manufacturers, and handle the medical side of the business while doing retailing for a company which manufactures eye glasses, contact lenses and other products.

For new optometrists just getting into actual practice, the wage starts out low, especially if the experience is less than a year (the starting wage can be from $70,000 to $90,000). The determinant for start-up pay is based on educational background, internship performance or recommendations. The $90,000 initial salary for optometrists in the United States can go up after a year or two. This occurs once the individual has gained proper experience in the field. Optometrists with five years of experience or more get better offers and higher incomes from institutions and are highly sought after by major eye care companies and premiere hospitals.

How do optometrist salaries compare to similar careers?

Optometrists earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than nurse anesthetists but more than nurse practitioners.

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)