Healthcare · 68 Cities Ranked

Highest Paying Cities for Optometrist (2025)

The median Optometrist salary is $167,810 in Seattle, WA, the highest-paying city for this role. After adjusting for cost of living, Birmingham, AL offers the best purchasing power at $180,188 adjusted.

The 68 cities below are ranked by median wage for Optometrist, drawn from BLS OEWS. Top-of-list cities typically combine high local labor demand with above-baseline cost-of-living, so the gross-wage ranking partly reflects COL adjustment. Reading the ranking carefully: gross median wage is the headline number, but the cost-adjusted figure (which divides by the city's cost-of-living index) tells a different story for high-COL cities. The ranking sorts on gross wage; the per-city pages surface the adjusted figure.

For workers evaluating Optometrist relocation, the top of the ranking is the obvious starting point — but the bottom of the list (low gross wage, low COL) is often where cost-adjusted real income is highest. The role-specific pages link to per-city detail.

$139,903

National Median

$167,810

Highest City

$100,250

Lowest City

Cities Ranked

Ranked by Median Salary

Rank	City	Median	Range (10th-90th)	COL Index	COL-Adjusted	Jobs
1	Seattle, WA	$167,810	$121,350, $227,540	149.4	$112,323	420
2	Anchorage, AK	$167,000	$78,190, $204,680	127	$131,496	30
3	Albuquerque, NM	$165,810	$62,110, $209,220	94	$176,394	70
4	Buffalo, NY	$165,640	$106,650, $170,880	92.5	$179,070	160
5	Albany, NY	$164,020	$65,960, $193,610	100.7	$162,880	130
6	Raleigh, NC	$163,290	$100,240, $213,860	99.8	$163,617	240
7	Birmingham, AL	$162,890	$73,750, $196,600	90.4	$180,188	110
8	Jacksonville, FL	$161,560	$100,340, $210,490	95.1	$169,884	150
9	New York, NY	$161,030	$104,730, $203,050	187.2	$86,020	2,580
10	Orlando, FL	$160,090	$85,620, $193,700	103.1	$155,276	290
11	Minneapolis, MN	$159,790	$95,640, $196,290	106.2	$150,461	470
12	Rochester, NY	$159,380	$99,030, $187,690	92.9	$171,561	120
13	Denver, CO	$158,130	$79,670, $214,620	112.8	$140,186	470
14	Tucson, AZ	$157,650	$97,750, $169,070	95.4	$165,252	80
15	Charlotte, NC	$157,210	$39,280, $209,790	96.7	$162,575	260
16	Cincinnati, OH	$156,990	$66,760, $249,510	91.2	$172,138	300
17	Boston, MA	$154,970	$95,780, $199,060	152.1	$101,887	710
18	Washington, DC	$154,690	$54,120, $224,040	152.8	$101,237	770
19	Philadelphia, PA	$153,980	$91,580, $195,650	118.4	$130,051	890
20	Hartford, CT	$150,340	$99,840, $158,610	112.6	$133,517	190
21	Greenville, SC	$149,380	$44,470, $168,920	90.1	$165,794	70
22	Chicago, IL	$145,630	$93,350, $186,250	107.3	$135,722	1,160
23	Baltimore, MD	$144,270	$49,260, $173,240	114.2	$126,331	330
24	Nashville, TN	$144,260	$51,170, $171,860	100.3	$143,829	180
25	Detroit, MI	$142,690	$117,240, $213,850	95.1	$150,042	610
26	San Francisco, CA	$142,580	$107,780, $221,350	179.6	$79,388	1,180
27	Reno, NV	$141,230	$99,540, $181,520	106.5	$132,610	80
28	Dallas, TX	$140,790	$73,320, $166,350	104.1	$135,245	870
29	Providence, RI	$139,910	$77,210, $215,640	119.4	$117,178	310
30	Lexington, KY	$139,060	$78,920, $276,860	91.3	$152,311	40
31	Sacramento, CA	$139,020	$105,860, $219,070	124.7	$111,484	510
32	Los Angeles, CA	$138,940	$73,540, $209,530	166	$83,699	2,360
33	Kansas City, MO	$138,580	$93,640, $176,030	95.4	$145,262	450
34	Tampa, FL	$138,130	$83,660, $206,950	99.6	$138,685	350
35	Indianapolis, IN	$137,590	$71,100, $215,290	90.1	$152,708	340
36	Salt Lake City, UT	$137,250	$50,040, $172,200	101.4	$135,355	150
37	Fresno, CA	$136,730	$100,760, $212,520	105.5	$129,602	100
38	Portland, OR	$136,250	$89,700, $166,870	130.1	$104,727	350
39	New Orleans, LA	$136,200	$51,140, $199,010	95.9	$142,023	50
40	Louisville, KY	$135,720	$96,370, $197,330	90.2	$150,466	230
41	Las Vegas, NV	$135,460	$74,290, $176,740	109	$124,275	310
42	San Jose, CA	$135,330	$134,370, $207,720	195.8	$69,116	580
43	St. Louis, MO	$135,090	$71,500, $193,430	90	$150,100	340
44	Columbus, OH	$133,370	$67,350, $211,980	93.1	$143,255	260
45	San Diego, CA	$133,280	$102,250, $208,180	160.2	$83,196	540
46	Milwaukee, WI	$132,130	$75,030, $207,050	97.4	$135,657	210
47	Colorado Springs, CO	$131,980	$64,680, $195,380	104.5	$126,297	100
48	Richmond, VA	$131,080	$64,000, $191,770	102.1	$128,384	180
49	Austin, TX	$130,460	$56,310, $182,410	103	$126,660	350
50	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$129,990	$104,170, $206,330	122.4	$106,201	510
51	Pittsburgh, PA	$129,900	$94,760, $164,650	92.3	$140,737	340
52	Des Moines, IA	$129,780	$67,930, $178,320	93.3	$139,100	110
53	Bakersfield, CA	$129,370	$99,980, $197,000	100.6	$128,598	100
54	Memphis, TN	$129,080	$48,650, $168,350	84	$153,667	110
55	Atlanta, GA	$128,830	$51,030, $189,610	99.2	$129,869	450
56	Madison, WI	$128,220	$102,200, $196,680	103.8	$123,526	100
57	Omaha, NE	$127,110	$62,090, $207,000	91.8	$138,464	140
58	Spokane, WA	$126,180	$88,180, $162,180	97.4	$129,548	60
59	Miami, FL	$125,530	$58,410, $194,700	123.1	$101,974	820
60	Knoxville, TN	$125,090	$47,830, $164,930	90.3	$138,527	80
61	Houston, TX	$124,640	$96,020, $162,010	96.5	$129,161	1,250
62	Wichita, KS	$123,940	$82,630, $193,340	84	$147,548	120
63	Phoenix, AZ	$115,960	$99,570, $172,160	100.7	$115,154	860
64	Little Rock, AR	$114,360	$68,770, $173,910	88.2	$129,660	70
65	San Antonio, TX	$111,780	$45,190, $158,020	91.5	$122,164	730
66	Oklahoma City, OK	$104,870	$74,580, $169,320	86.5	$121,237	170
67	Boise, ID	$103,890	$62,000, $189,570	102.1	$101,753	60
68	Tulsa, OK	$100,250	$76,630, $180,640	86.8	$115,495	190

Ranked by Purchasing Power (COL-Adjusted)

Cost-of-living adjusted salaries show where your Optometrist paycheck goes furthest. A lower COL index means your dollars stretch further.

Rank	City	COL-Adjusted	Raw Median	COL Index
1	Birmingham, AL	$180,188	$162,890	90.4
2	Buffalo, NY	$179,070	$165,640	92.5
3	Albuquerque, NM	$176,394	$165,810	94
4	Cincinnati, OH	$172,138	$156,990	91.2
5	Rochester, NY	$171,561	$159,380	92.9
6	Jacksonville, FL	$169,884	$161,560	95.1
7	Greenville, SC	$165,794	$149,380	90.1
8	Tucson, AZ	$165,252	$157,650	95.4
9	Raleigh, NC	$163,617	$163,290	99.8
10	Albany, NY	$162,880	$164,020	100.7
11	Charlotte, NC	$162,575	$157,210	96.7
12	Orlando, FL	$155,276	$160,090	103.1
13	Memphis, TN	$153,667	$129,080	84
14	Indianapolis, IN	$152,708	$137,590	90.1
15	Lexington, KY	$152,311	$139,060	91.3
16	Louisville, KY	$150,466	$135,720	90.2
17	Minneapolis, MN	$150,461	$159,790	106.2
18	St. Louis, MO	$150,100	$135,090	90
19	Detroit, MI	$150,042	$142,690	95.1
20	Wichita, KS	$147,548	$123,940	84
21	Kansas City, MO	$145,262	$138,580	95.4
22	Nashville, TN	$143,829	$144,260	100.3
23	Columbus, OH	$143,255	$133,370	93.1
24	New Orleans, LA	$142,023	$136,200	95.9
25	Pittsburgh, PA	$140,737	$129,900	92.3
26	Denver, CO	$140,186	$158,130	112.8
27	Des Moines, IA	$139,100	$129,780	93.3
28	Tampa, FL	$138,685	$138,130	99.6
29	Knoxville, TN	$138,527	$125,090	90.3
30	Omaha, NE	$138,464	$127,110	91.8
31	Chicago, IL	$135,722	$145,630	107.3
32	Milwaukee, WI	$135,657	$132,130	97.4
33	Salt Lake City, UT	$135,355	$137,250	101.4
34	Dallas, TX	$135,245	$140,790	104.1
35	Hartford, CT	$133,517	$150,340	112.6
36	Reno, NV	$132,610	$141,230	106.5
37	Anchorage, AK	$131,496	$167,000	127
38	Philadelphia, PA	$130,051	$153,980	118.4
39	Atlanta, GA	$129,869	$128,830	99.2
40	Little Rock, AR	$129,660	$114,360	88.2
41	Fresno, CA	$129,602	$136,730	105.5
42	Spokane, WA	$129,548	$126,180	97.4
43	Houston, TX	$129,161	$124,640	96.5
44	Bakersfield, CA	$128,598	$129,370	100.6
45	Richmond, VA	$128,384	$131,080	102.1
46	Austin, TX	$126,660	$130,460	103
47	Baltimore, MD	$126,331	$144,270	114.2
48	Colorado Springs, CO	$126,297	$131,980	104.5
49	Las Vegas, NV	$124,275	$135,460	109
50	Madison, WI	$123,526	$128,220	103.8
51	San Antonio, TX	$122,164	$111,780	91.5
52	Oklahoma City, OK	$121,237	$104,870	86.5
53	Providence, RI	$117,178	$139,910	119.4
54	Tulsa, OK	$115,495	$100,250	86.8
55	Phoenix, AZ	$115,154	$115,960	100.7
56	Seattle, WA	$112,323	$167,810	149.4
57	Sacramento, CA	$111,484	$139,020	124.7
58	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$106,201	$129,990	122.4
59	Portland, OR	$104,727	$136,250	130.1
60	Miami, FL	$101,974	$125,530	123.1
61	Boston, MA	$101,887	$154,970	152.1
62	Boise, ID	$101,753	$103,890	102.1
63	Washington, DC	$101,237	$154,690	152.8
64	New York, NY	$86,020	$161,030	187.2
65	Los Angeles, CA	$83,699	$138,940	166
66	San Diego, CA	$83,196	$133,280	160.2
67	San Francisco, CA	$79,388	$142,580	179.6
68	San Jose, CA	$69,116	$135,330	195.8

Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA pays the highest median Optometrist salary at $167,810. However, after cost-of-living adjustment, Birmingham, AL offers the most purchasing power at $180,188 adjusted.

The national median Optometrist salary is $139,903 based on BLS data. Salaries range from $100,250 to $167,810 depending on city.

Not necessarily. A city with higher nominal pay may have a higher cost of living that offsets the salary difference. Compare the "COL-Adjusted" column in both tables above, cities with lower costs of living often offer better real purchasing power.