Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025
Optometrist Salary in Anchorage, AK
Healthcare · SOC 29-1041 · COL Index 127
Optometrists in Anchorage, AK earn a median salary of $167,000 as of 2025, with a 10th-to-90th percentile range of $78,190 to $204,680. The mean is $158,180 across approximately 30 workers. Adjusted for Anchorage, AK's cost-of-living index of 127, the median equates to $131,496 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
Optometrist in Anchorage, AK pays modestly above the national median: $167,000 versus $139,903 nationally, roughly 19% above.
Cost-of-living in Anchorage, AK runs at index 127.0, above the national baseline. The cost-adjusted median works out to about $131,496 in national-baseline dollars. Wage distribution at the 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles: $113,714, $167,000, $185,840, $204,680. 30 Optometrist workers are documented in Anchorage, AK per the BLS OEWS survey. The percentile spread is the most useful framing — entry-level pay clusters near p25, mid-career near p50, senior-level near p75-p90.
Salary Distribution
Percentile Breakdown
| Percentile | Salary | COL-Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (Entry Level) | $78,190 | $61,567 |
| 25th Percentile | $113,714 | $89,539 |
| 50th Percentile (Median) | $167,000 | $131,496 |
| 75th Percentile | $185,840 | $146,331 |
| 90th Percentile (Top Earners) | $204,680 | $161,165 |
What These Numbers Tell You
The spread between the 10th and 90th percentile for Optometrists in Anchorage, AK is unusually wide — top earners take home roughly 2.6× what the bottom decile earns. That signals a long career ladder: substantial pay gains accrue with seniority, specialization, and movement to larger employers. Workers entering this role should expect to start near the 25th percentile and target the median by year three to five.
Anchorage, AK's cost-of-living index of 127 (about 27% above the U.S. average) means a $167,000 median translates to roughly $131,496 in an average-cost market. Most of that gap is housing and transportation; the salary premium most professional roles earn here only partially offsets it.
Anchorage, AK ranks #2 of 68 BLS-tracked metros for Optometrist pay — among the very top markets nationally. Top-3 metros for any occupation typically combine three signals: dense local employer concentration, high cost of living, and a deep pool of senior workers that pulls the percentile bands upward.
How to Use This in Negotiation
The classic negotiation move is to anchor your ask on the 75th percentile of the BLS band — $185,840 for Optometrists in Anchorage, AK — when you have meaningful experience, then bring evidence (years on the job, scope of past work, relevant certifications, comparable offers) to justify why you sit at that point in the distribution. Anchoring on the median when you have 5+ years of experience leaves money on the table; anchoring on the 90th percentile ($204,680) without strong evidence undercuts credibility.
For new entrants, the 25th-to-50th percentile band ($113,714–$167,000) is the realistic target. For mid-career workers, the median-to-75th band ($167,000–$185,840) is the right anchor. Senior specialists and managers should be benchmarking against the 75th-to-90th band ($185,840–$204,680).
For specific scripts and a full negotiation framework, see the data-driven salary negotiation guide. To benchmark your current pay, the salary percentile calculator places any number into the BLS distribution for this role and metro.
How This Salary Is Calculated
Wage figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program — a federal survey of about 1.2 million U.S. establishments, published once per year by Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. The Anchorage, AK percentile bands above (10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th) and the mean are pulled directly from the BLS data file for SOC code 29-1041 in this MSA. The COL-adjusted figure rebases salary to a U.S. national average COL of 100, using a composite index derived from public housing, food, and transportation data. Read the full methodology for details.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average Optometrist salary in Anchorage, AK?
Optometrists in Anchorage, AK earn a median salary of $167,000 as of 2025, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data. The mean (employment-weighted average) is $158,180 across roughly 30 workers in this metro.
What is the salary range for Optometrists in Anchorage, AK?
Pay ranges from $78,190 at the 10th percentile to $204,680 at the 90th percentile — a $126,490 spread. The 25th-to-75th percentile band ($113,714 to $185,840) is the typical anchor for salary negotiation.
Is $167,000 a good Optometrist salary in Anchorage, AK?
$167,000 is the BLS median — half of Optometrists in Anchorage, AK earn more, half earn less. Whether it is "good" depends on your experience: new entrants typically land near the 25th percentile ($113,714), mid-career workers near the median, and senior specialists near or above the 75th percentile ($185,840). Cost-of-living-adjusted to a national average baseline, the median equates to $131,496.
How does Optometrist pay in Anchorage, AK compare to other metros?
Anchorage, AK ranks #2 of 68 BLS-tracked metros for Optometrist median pay. It is among the highest-paying markets for this role.
Where does this Optometrist salary data come from?
Every wage figure comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal data covering 1.2 million U.S. employers. The same data feeds the U.S. Department of Labor's prevailing wage system used for H-1B and federal contracting wage determinations.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Anchorage, AK MSA, SOC 29-1041, 2025 release. Public domain. See bls.gov/oes. Cite as: "SalaryTruth, BLS OEWS 2025."
Last refreshed 2026-05-21 · 30 Optometrists tracked in Anchorage, AK.