Optometrists

Detailed Occupation

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2024 Workforce

44.9k

Average Age

45.6

Estimated Job Growth

7.95%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$134,128

Average Male Salary

$155,861

Average Female Salary

$113,332

About

Optometrists are most often employed by the Offices of optometrists industry. The average yearly wage for Optometrists was $134,128 in 2024.

The locations that employ the most Optometrists are Northwest Lower Peninsula (West) PUMA, MI, Maricopa County--Scottsdale (North), Phoenix (Far Northeast) Cities & Cave Creek PUMA, AZ, and Houston City (West Central)--South of I-10 & Inside Loop I-610 PUMA, TX. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Optometrists are Weld Rural PUMA, CO, Chester County (West)--Phoenixville Borough PUMA, PA, and Linn County outside Cedar Rapids City PUMA, IA.

Photo by David Lee

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

Employment and salary information for the Optometrists workforce. Optometrists workforce in 2024 was 44,912 people, of which 51.1% were women and 48.9% were men. Optometrists are paid most in Nassau County (Northwest)--North Hempstead Town (North) PUMA, NY but are relatively concentrated in Weld Rural PUMA, CO.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

21,961

Male Workforce

± 3.64k

22,951

Female Workforce

± 3.72k

The Optometrists workforce in 2024 was 44,912 people (51.1% women and 48.9% men). This implies an average annual growth of 50.6% between 2014 (29,827) and 2024 (44,912).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

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

During 2024, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were Wyoming ($223,388), Maine ($222,514), and Louisiana ($193,600).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$134,128

AVERAGE WAGE

#18 in the ranking (2014)

$69,878

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2024, Optometrists earned an average of $134,128, $64,250 more than the average national salary of $69,878

The graph shows the ranking of Optometrists in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2014.

Wage Distribution

Gender

0.31

WAGE GINI

In 2024, Optometrists had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.31, which is lower than the national average of 0.474. 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 ($164,011).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

44.9k

2024 Workforce

± 5,202

2.51%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 16.1%

This graphic shows the share of Optometrists employed by various industries. Offices of optometrists employs the largest share of Optometrists at 84%, followed by Health & personal care, except pharmacies & drug, retailers with 6.06% and Offices of physicians with 5.62%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Optometrists in the US. The workforce of Optometrists in 2024 was 44,912 people, with 51.1% woman, and 48.9% men. The average age of male Optometrists in the workforce is 50 and of female Optometrists is 41.4, and the most common race/ethnicity for Optometrists is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Optometrists in 2024 was 44,912 people, with 51.1% woman, and 48.9% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 30 to 34 years (7,384 people), 35 to 39 years (6,218 people), and 45 to 49 years (5,376 people). Among them they concentrated 42.6% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2024, 4.91% of Optometrists workers were Hispanic and 95.1% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (44.9%), Puerto Rican (35.4)%, and Cuban (19.6)%

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

Races

In 2024, 71.1% 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 (18.1%) and Two or More Races (6.37%).

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 2024 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 2024 (counting all academic degrees) were Biology (24,957 people), Health (4,775 people), and Psychology (2,775 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 (44,912 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 3.07%, but Optometrists are expected to see a growth of 7.95% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

7.95%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.07%

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 3.07%, the average rate of national job growth.