Occupation salary profile

Optometrists

SOC 29-1041 BLS OEWS May 2025 H-1B LCAs, last 12 months

Diagnose, manage, and treat conditions and diseases of the human eye and visual system. Examine eyes and visual system, diagnose problems or impairments, prescribe corrective lenses, and provide treatment. May prescribe therapeutic drugs to treat specific eye conditions. Ophthalmologists are included in “Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric” (29-1241).

National median · BLS
$136,570
▲ +1.29% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
$150,000
▲ +6.01% YoY · 97 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$141,550
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
42,790
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Optometrists

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 97 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS) H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay$74,870$110,668
25th$109,400$130,000
Median (50th)$136,570$150,000
75th$165,120$170,560
90th — top pay$202,180$184,363
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $150,000 for Optometrists — 9.8% above the BLS national median of $136,570.

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Optometrists

BLS projects employment of optometrists to grow 9.5% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 2,000 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
45,100 → 49,400
+4,300 jobs
Projected change
+9.5%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
2,000
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Doctoral or professional degree
No related experience required
Self-employed
5% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 5)
Extensive Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a doctoral or professional degree →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

H-1B sponsored pay

Pay by H-1B wage level

Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.

H-1B median $150,000
Change vs prior year +6.01%
After inflation (CPI-U) +2.79%
Wage level LCAs Share P25 Median P75
Level I 42 43.3% $133,000 $150,370 $161,870
Level II 34 35.1% $125,000 $142,160 $170,420
Level III 12 12.4% $111,114 $144,030 $151,250
H-1B job titles

Salaries by job title in Optometrists

The 1 most-filed job titles inside SOC 29-1041, from 97 H-1B filings. Seniority words and level numbers are grouped (“Senior Data Engineer II” counts as Data Engineer). Tap a title for its full range, wage levels and the exact titles employers used.

Job title LCAs Share P25 Median P75 YoY
Optometrist 78 80.41% $132,250 $150,000 $171,640 +6.01%

Titles are cleaned from the employer's own LCA text (codes and typos removed, nothing invented). Rows need 10+ filings in this SOC.

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Optometrists

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Active Listening4.1
  • Critical Thinking4.1
  • Reading Comprehension4.1
  • Speaking4.0
  • Writing4.0
  • Social Perceptiveness3.9
  • Science3.8
  • Complex Problem Solving3.4
  • Coordination3.4
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.4
Top knowledge areas
  • Medicine and Dentistry4.8
  • Biology4.5
  • Customer and Personal Service4.4
  • English Language3.9
  • Mathematics3.6
  • Education and Training3.6
  • Therapy and Counseling3.5
  • Psychology3.5
Software and technology used
Apple SafariMicrosoft EdgeMozilla FirefoxWeb browser softwareIntuit QuickBooksMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft SQL ServerMicrosoft WordAccra Med Software FiloptoAltaPoint Data Systems AltaPoint VisionBabcock Winx ProCompulink Business Systems Eyecare AdvantageDigital Healthcare OptoMizeFirst Insight E-Z FrameFirst Insight MaximEyesHealthLine Systems EyecomInsight Software My Vision Express

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What optometrists do

  • Examine eyes, using observation, instruments, and pharmaceutical agents, to determine visual acuity and perception, focus, and coordination and to diagnose diseases and other abnormalities, such as glaucoma or color blindness.
  • Analyze test results and develop a treatment plan.
  • Prescribe, supply, fit and adjust eyeglasses, contact lenses, and other vision aids.
  • Prescribe medications to treat eye diseases if state laws permit.
  • Educate and counsel patients on contact lens care, visual hygiene, lighting arrangements, and safety factors.
  • Remove foreign bodies from the eye.
  • Provide patients undergoing eye surgeries, such as cataract and laser vision correction, with pre- and post-operative care.
  • Consult with and refer patients to ophthalmologist or other health care practitioner if additional medical treatment is determined necessary.
Also called
OptometristOptometry Doctor (OD)Therapeutic Optometrist

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.