Optometrists

Detailed Occupation

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2021 Workforce
40.9k
Average Age
45.5
Estimated Job Growth
4.28%
10-year projection
Average Salary
$122,654
Average Male Salary
$144,615
Average Female Salary
$99,349

About

Optometrists are most often employed by the Offices of optometrists industry. The average yearly wage for Optometrists was $122,654 in 2021.

The locations that employ the most Optometrists are West Chester Borough PUMA, PA, Memphis City (Central Riverside) PUMA, TN, and Mishawaka City PUMA, IN. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Optometrists are Memphis City (Central Riverside) PUMA, TN, West Chester Borough PUMA, PA, and Mishawaka City PUMA, IN.

briefcaseEmployment

Employment and salary information for the Optometrists workforce. Optometrists workforce in 2021 was 40,867 people, of which 48.5% were women and 51.5% were men. Optometrists are paid most in North Hempstead Town (North) PUMA, NY but are relatively concentrated in Memphis City (Central Riverside) PUMA, TN.

Employment Over Time

Metric
Grouping
21,040
Male Workforce
± 3.56k
19,827
Female Workforce
± 3.46k

The Optometrists workforce in 2021 was 40,867 people (48.5% women and 51.5% men). This implies an average annual growth of 38.2% between 2014 (29,569) and 2021 (40,867).

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Employment by Location

Level
Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Optometrists.

During 2021, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were Utah ($180,614), Oklahoma ($176,250), and New Hampshire ($167,878).

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Yearly Wage Ranking

$122,654
AVERAGE WAGE
#22 in the ranking (2021)
$59,596
NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE
For all occupations across the US

In 2021, Optometrists earned an average of $122,654, $63,058 more than the average national salary of $59,596

The graph shows the ranking of Optometrists in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2021.

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Wage Distribution

Gender
0.33
WAGE GINI

In 2021, Optometrists had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.33, which is lower than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Optometrists (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Optometrists compared to the entire workforce in the country.

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rigIndustry

Information on the industries that employ Optometrists and on wages for those in the field. Offices of optometrists is the industry that employs the most Optometrists, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Optometrists, by average wage, is Offices of physicians ($136,154).

Occupations by Industries

Metric
Value
40.9k
2021 Workforce
± 4,963
8.05%
1 YEAR GROWTH
± 16.2%

This graphic shows the share of Optometrists employed by various industries. Offices of optometrists employs the largest share of Optometrists at 88%, followed by Health & personal care, except drug, stores with 6.46% and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals with 5.55%.

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geosearchDiversity

Demographic information on Optometrists in the US. The workforce of Optometrists in 2021 was 40,867 people, with 48.5% woman, and 51.5% men. The average age of male Optometrists in the workforce is 50.2 and of female Optometrists is 40.6, and the most common race/ethnicity for Optometrists is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Optometrists in 2021 was 40,867 people, with 48.5% woman, and 51.5% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 30 to 34 years (6,353 people), 35 to 39 years (5,383  people), and 45 to 49 years (5,249 people). Among them they concentrated 41.9% of the total workforce.

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Ethnicity

Gender

In 2021, 3.97% of Optometrists workers were Hispanic and 96% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (45.7%), Puerto Rican (35.1)%, and Cuban (19.2)%

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Races

In 2021, 74.4% of the Optometrists workforce were White, of which 42.8% were women and 57.2% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Asian (19%) and Two or More Races (3.55%).

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learningEducation & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Optometrists from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Optometrists is Biology but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2021 were Biology.

Among the necessary skills for Optometrists, Active Listening stands, but the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Optometrists need more than the average amount of Science.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.
Type of Majors
Degree

The most common majors achieved by Optometrists in 2021 (counting all academic degrees) were Biology (22,584 people), Health (4,363 people), and Psychology (2,934 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

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Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Optometrists workers were Graduate Degree (40,867 people), false (0 people), and false (0 people).

The graphic shows the Optometrists workforce by gender and educational level.

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Skills

Chart
Value

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Optometrists from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Optometrists need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension.

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timeline-line-chartProjections

Projections on job growth for Optometrists from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.71%, but Optometrists are expected to see a growth of 4.28% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

4.28%
Estimated Job Growth
10-year Projection
3.71%
National Growth
10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Optometrists. This profession is expected to grow more than than 3.71%, the average rate of national job growth.

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