Optometrist Salary
The optometrist salary surveys are showing optometry to be a good career path for every region of the USA, Canada, Australia and elsewhere.
Optometrist Salary US Averages
The average optometrist salary in the USA, as reported by Salary.com is $103,000, with the low end starting around $90,000 and the high end reaching $130,000.
That doesn’t mean you can’t make more…in fact, in some jurisdictions, you can make as much as $175,000 or more by running a private practice.
US BLS Optometrist Salary Statement
Analysing the data, one thing becomes clear – if you run your own optometry business, you will make a lot more money.
Here’s what the US Bureau of Labor Statistics has to say about this:
Median annual wages of salaried optometrists were $96,320 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $70,140 and $125,460. Median annual wages of salaried optometrists in offices of optometrists were $92,670. Salaried optometrists tend to earn more initially than do optometrists who set up their own practices. In the long run, however, those in private practice usually earn more.
According to the American Optometric Association, average annual income for self-employed optometrists was $175,329 in 2007.
Self-employed optometrists, including those in individual, partnerships, and group practice, continue to earn higher income than those in other settings. Earnings also vary by group size. For example, practitioners in large groups—six or more—earn $159,300; practitioners in mid-sized groups—three to five people—earn $179,205; those in small practices—two people—earn $176,944; and individual practitioners earn an average of $134,094. Self-employed optometrists must also provide their own benefits. Practitioners associated with optical chains earn $100,704 on average. However, they typically enjoy paid vacation, sick leave, and pension contributions.
According to the BLS, the top paying states for optometry in May 2010 were:
Average Optometrist Salaries:
Tennessee $135,470
Ohio $133,310
North Carolina $133,250
Alaska $130,000
Virginia $127,490
The average optometrist salary payscale for areas with the most optometrists in 2010 were:
California: $104,980
Illinois: $104,040
New York: $107,620
Texas: $101,080
Pennsylvania: $100,150
The BLS has also noted the variety of work environments that optometrists can choose:
Although most work in a general practice as a primary care optometrist, some optometrists prefer to specialize in a particular field, such as contact lenses, geriatrics, pediatrics, or vision therapy. As a result, an increasing number of optometrists are forming group practices in which each group member specializes in a specific area while still remaining a full scope practitioner. For example, an expert in low-vision rehabilitation may help legally blind patients by custom fitting them with a magnifying device that will enable them to read. Some may specialize in occupational vision, developing ways to protect workers’ eyes from on-the-job strain or injury. Others may focus on sports vision, head trauma, or ocular disease and special testing. A few optometrists teach optometry, perform research, or consult.
Just remember, optometrists working in optical chains earn less than self-employed optometrists, so you need to adjust your salary expectations based on the type of work you prefer.
Other salaries of careers you may be interested in: physiatrist salary, paleontologist salary.
Optometrist Salary UK and London
The optometrist salaries in the UK are slightly lower than the equivalent job in the USA, due mainly to the NHS. As Prospects and Myers La Roche have surveyed,
Range of typical starting salaries (private practice): £19,500 – £28,000.
Range of typical salaries at senior level/with experience (private practice), typically after five years in the job post registration: £37,500 – £53,600.
Locum daily rates range from £221 to £283. (All salary data from Myers La Roche, Optics Salary Survey 2009.)
Earnings for company directors, partners and sole practitioners depend very much on business performance. In the current economic climate, many owners are earning considerably less than they would in The National Health Service (NHS) or in private practice (Myers La Roche, Optics Salary Survey 2009).
Jobs in the NHS as a hospital optometrist are usually covered by the Agenda for Change pay scale consisting of nine pay bands. Typical salaries for the pre-registration year start at £18,152 (band 4). Typical starting salaries range from £25,472 – £34,189 (band 6). Specialist optometrists can earn £30,460 – £40,157 (band 7) and principal optometrists £38,851 – £55,945 (band 8a/8b).Typical salaries for consultant optometrists range from £54,454 – £80,810 (band 8c/8d).
There are additional allowances available for high cost of living areas, e.g. London.
Optometrist Salaries In Canada
The population in Canada is aging, and as a result of this, there is a growing demand for optometrists, so career prospects are currently good.
Surveying the current job postings in Canada, optometrists can expect offers of employment to be in the range of $80,000 and up. Some employment offers salaries up to $140,000, and an optometrist with an entrepreneurial spirit can often set up a business with 2-5 colleagues and make in excess of $300,000 per year. Optometrist wages are currently higher in Alberta and British Columbia.
Optometrist Salary Summary
the prospects for a career in optometry is looking better with the changing demographics in the industrialized world, and this means you can get a relatively short training (4 years) and have a professional career that pays very well over the course of your working life.
If you’d like to share your thoughts on the optometrist salary results, please leave a comment.
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