Occupational Employment and Wages, November 2004

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)
23,190 4.7 % $46.29 $96,290 2.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $20.82 $30.51 $42.45 $56.34 (5)
Annual Wage (2) $43,300 $63,460 $88,290 $117,180 (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
Offices of other health practitioners 14,210 $45.47 $94,590
Offices of physicians 3,700 $58.14 $120,930
Health and personal care stores 3,120 $40.13 $83,470
Federal government (OES designation) 580 $39.20 $81,530
Outpatient care centers 440 $44.62 $92,800

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Offices of physicians 3,700 $58.14 $120,930
Management of companies and enterprises 80 $52.67 $109,560
Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing 50 $51.19 $106,480
General medical and surgical hospitals 180 $45.94 $95,560
Offices of other health practitioners 14,210 $45.47 $94,590

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
Wyoming 120 $46.72 $97,180 0.049%
North Dakota 120 $52.71 $109,630 0.037%
New Hampshire 200 $71.03 $147,740 0.032%
District of Columbia 190 $34.60 $71,970 0.031%
Arkansas 340 $46.88 $97,510 0.030%

Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment
New Hampshire 200 $71.03 $147,740 0.032%
Alaska 50 $63.96 $133,030 0.017%
North Carolina 610 $57.01 $118,580 0.016%
Maine 80 $56.34 $117,190 0.013%
Minnesota 700 $55.81 $116,070 0.027%

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
Las Cruces, NM MSA 60 $19.93 $41,460 0.096%
Bismarck, ND MSA 40 $59.31 $123,360 0.072%
Wheeling, WV-OH MSA 40 $51.98 $108,110 0.062%
Fargo-Moorhead, ND-MN MSA 50 $57.64 $119,880 0.047%
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA PMSA 40 $40.24 $83,690 0.044%

Top paying Metropolitan areas for this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
Portsmouth-Rochester, NH-ME PMSA (7) $85.89 $178,650 (7)
San Jose, CA PMSA (7) $76.14 $158,370 (7)
Youngstown-Warren, OH MSA (7) $75.72 $157,490 (7)
Wilmington-Newark, DE-MD PMSA 80 $73.60 $153,090 0.026%
South Bend, IN MSA (7) $73.00 $151,840 (7)

About November 2004 National, State, and Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

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.

(7) Estimate not released.

All Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Occupations

November 2004 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

November 2004 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

November 2004 Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

November 2004 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download November 2004 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped Excel files

Technical notes

 

Last Modified Date: November 9, 2005