Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2003

29-1041 Optometrists

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.

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
State profile for this occupation
Metropolitan area profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
22,740 4.8 % $45.70 $95,060 2.9 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $21.70 $30.23 $41.07 $54.70 (5)
Annual Wage (2) $45,140 $62,880 $85,430 $113,790 (5)

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Employment rank Wage rank
Offices of other health practitioners 12,780 $46.20 $96,090 1 3
Offices of physicians 4,200 $56.28 $117,060 2 1
Health and personal care stores 3,450 $35.04 $72,880 3 9
Federal government (OES designation) 500 $31.70 $65,930 4 12
General medical and surgical hospitals 470 $45.43 $94,490 5 4

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Employment rank Wage rank
Offices of physicians 4,200 $56.28 $117,060 2 1
Management of companies and enterprises 50 $50.03 $104,050 10 2
Offices of other health practitioners 12,780 $46.20 $96,090 1 3
General medical and surgical hospitals 470 $45.43 $94,490 5 4
Outpatient care centers 470 $45.05 $93,700 6 5

State profile for this occupation: Top

States with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment Wage rank within State
Wyoming 100 $38.61 $80,300 0.042% 11
Rhode Island 200 $46.99 $97,740 0.042% 12
Delaware 150 $34.65 $72,070 0.037% 42
Nebraska 280 $54.87 $114,130 0.032% 10
District of Columbia 180 $34.62 $72,010 0.030% 70

Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment Wage rank within State
South Dakota (6) $78.09 $162,420 (6) 5
New Hampshire 110 $72.33 $150,450 0.018% 8
Arkansas 200 $64.57 $134,310 0.018% 8
Alaska 70 $63.17 $131,400 0.024% 7
Indiana 570 $56.03 $116,540 0.020% 13

Metropolitan area profile for this occupation: Top

Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
Vallejo-Fairfield-Napa, CA PMSA 110 $39.44 $82,030 0.059%
Champaign-Urbana, IL MSA 50 $28.36 $58,990 0.055%
Rocky Mount, NC MSA 30 (5) (5) 0.049%
Peoria-Pekin, IL MSA 80 $41.29 $85,880 0.049%
Rockford, IL MSA 80 $57.70 $120,010 0.048%

Top paying Metropolitan areas for this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
Rocky Mount, NC MSA 30 (5) (5) 0.049%
San Antonio, TX (6) (5) (5) (6)
Anchorage, AK MSA 50 $67.54 $140,480 0.036%
San Jose, CA PMSA 160 $64.57 $134,310 0.018%
Toledo, OH MSA (6) $62.11 $129,190 (6)

About May 2003 National, State, and Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

To see profiles of other occupations, select from the major groups below:

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas in every State and the District of Columbia. The top five employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable Excel files(XLS).

Percentile wage estimates show the percentage of workers in an occupation that earn less than a given wage and the percentage that earn more. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(5) This wage is equal to or greater than $70.00 per hour or $145,600 per year.

(6) Estimates not released.

All Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Occupations

2003 May National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

2003 May State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

2003 May Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

2003 May National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2003 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped Excel files

Technical notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 22, 2004