Optometrists

Detailed Occupation

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2023 Workforce

43.8k

Average Age

45.5

Estimated Job Growth

8.72%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$130,706

Average Male Salary

$151,949

Average Female Salary

$108,717

About

Optometrists are most often employed by the Offices of optometrists industry. The average yearly wage for Optometrists was $130,706 in 2023.

The locations that employ the most Optometrists are Wake County (Northeast)--Raleigh City (Northeast), Wake Forest & Rolesville Towns PUMA, NC, Northwest Lower Peninsula (West) PUMA, MI, and Orange County (Northwest)--Buena Park, Cypress & Seal Beach Cities PUMA, CA. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Optometrists are Weld Rural PUMA, CO, Linn County outside Cedar Rapids City PUMA, IA, and Wake County (Northeast)--Raleigh City (Northeast), Wake Forest & Rolesville Towns PUMA, NC.

Photo by David Lee

Management, business, science, & arts occupations Healthcare practitioners & technical occupations

Employment and salary information for the Optometrists workforce. Optometrists workforce in 2023 was 43,812 people, of which 49.1% were women and 50.9% were men. Optometrists are paid most in Outer Baltimore County PUMA, MD but are relatively concentrated in Weld Rural PUMA, CO.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

22,284

Male Workforce

± 3.66k

21,528

Female Workforce

± 3.6k

The Optometrists workforce in 2023 was 43,812 people (49.1% women and 50.9% men). This implies an average annual growth of 46.9% between 2014 (29,827) and 2023 (43,812).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

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

During 2023, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were Wyoming ($212,366), Maine ($197,138), and New Hampshire ($195,145).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$130,706

AVERAGE WAGE

#27 in the ranking (2023)

$67,727

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2023, Optometrists earned an average of $130,706, $62,979 more than the average national salary of $67,727

The graph shows the ranking of Optometrists in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2023.

Wage Distribution

Gender

0.31

WAGE GINI

In 2023, Optometrists had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.31, which is lower than the national average of 0.476. 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.

Industry

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 ($165,176).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

43.8k

2023 Workforce

± 5,138

2.96%

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 83.8%, followed by uninformed with 7.47% and Offices of physicians with 4.81%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Optometrists in the US. The workforce of Optometrists in 2023 was 43,812 people, with 49.1% woman, and 50.9% men. The average age of male Optometrists in the workforce is 50 and of female Optometrists is 40.8, and the most common race/ethnicity for Optometrists is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Optometrists in 2023 was 43,812 people, with 49.1% woman, and 50.9% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 30 to 34 years (7,294 people), 35 to 39 years (5,909 people), and 45 to 49 years (5,171 people). Among them they concentrated 42.3% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2023, 4.67% of Optometrists workers were Hispanic and 95.3% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (42.2%), Puerto Rican (32.1)%, and Cuban (18.4)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2023, 73.2% of the Optometrists workforce were White, of which 44.5% were women and 55.5% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Asian (17.2%) and Two or More Races (5.42%).

Education & 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 2023 were Biology.

Among the necessary skills for Optometrists, Reading Comprehension 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 2023 (counting all academic degrees) were Biology (24,147 people), Health (5,129 people), and Psychology (2,688 people).

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

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Optometrists workers were Graduate Degree (43,812 people), false (0 people), and false (0 people).

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

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 Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Optometrists from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 4.02%, but Optometrists are expected to see a growth of 8.72% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

8.72%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

4.02%

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 4.02%, the average rate of national job growth.