Salary · NY · SOC 29-1041

Optometrist salary in New York, per year and per hour

BLS data for May 2025. Median, mean, and percentile pay for optometrists in New York, with every metro area BLS publishes.

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, released May 15, 2026. Publisher page

Quick answer

The median pay for optometrists in New York was $161,140 a year, or $77.47 an hour, in May 2025 (BLS). The middle 80% earned $95,460 to $203,040. About 2,390 were employed.

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Optometrist pay in New York vs the US

Optometrist wages in New York and the US, May 2025
Measure	NY annual	NY hourly	US annual
Median (50th percentile)	$161,140	$77.47	$136,570
Mean (average)	$153,130	$73.62	$141,550
10th percentile	$95,460	$45.89	$74,870
25th percentile	$127,900	$61.49	$109,400
75th percentile	$175,740	$84.49	$165,120
90th percentile	$203,040	$97.62	$202,180

Employment in New York: 2,390. Location quotient: 0.9 (1.0 = the national share of jobs).

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Publisher page

Optometrist salary by metro area in New York

Optometrist median wage by metro area, New York
Metro area	Median annual	Median hourly	Employed
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$161,030	$77.42	2,580
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY	$165,640	$79.63	160
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY	$164,020	$78.85	130
Rochester, NY	$159,380	$76.62	120
Syracuse, NY	$153,790	$73.94	100
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY	$161,850	$77.81	90

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Publisher page

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Optometrist salary in New York

Median pay: $161,140 a year ($77.47 an hour)

Middle 80% earn $95,460 to $203,040 a year

Employed: 2,390

BLS OEWS, May 2025. Source: Rivvi

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<div style="font:14px/1.45 system-ui,sans-serif;color:#222;border:1px solid #E6E6EE;border-radius:12px;padding:14px 16px;max-width:360px;background:#fff"><div style="font-weight:600;font-size:15px;margin-bottom:6px">Optometrist salary in New York</div><div style="margin:2px 0">Median pay: <strong>$161,140</strong> a year ($77.47 an hour)</div><div style="margin:2px 0">Middle 80% earn $95,460 to $203,040 a year</div><div style="margin:2px 0">Employed: 2,390</div><div style="margin-top:8px;font-size:12px;color:#555">BLS OEWS, May 2025. Source: <a href="https://rivvi.ai/salary/optometrist/ny" style="color:#3C38C9">Rivvi</a></div></div>

Questions

How much does an Optometrist make per hour in New York?

The median hourly wage was $77.47 in May 2025, per BLS. The 10th percentile was $45.89 and the 90th was $97.62.

What is the average Optometrist salary in New York?

BLS reports a mean (average) of $153,130 a year and a median of $161,140 for May 2025. The median is the middle wage; the mean is pulled up by the highest earners.

Do optometrists in New York earn more than the US median?

The New York median of $161,140 is 18% higher than the US median of $136,570 (BLS, May 2025).

How does New York rank for optometrist pay?

New York ranks 5 of 51 states (plus DC) by median annual wage for optometrists (BLS, May 2025).

Where do these numbers come from?

The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates, SOC 29-1041. Figures BLS did not publish are left out.