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Best states for an optometrist
Quoted expert
Michael Rothschild
- Rank 1 - 10
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Do you want to become an optometrist at National Vision Administrators, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for optometrists that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Our research found that West Virginia is the best state for optometrists, while North Carolina and West Virginia are ranked highest in terms of median salary. West Virginia has a median salary of $175,120 and North Carolina has the highest median salary among all 50 states for optometrists.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for optometrists. West Virginia is the best state for optometrists, where the median salary is $175,120.We found that West Virginia is the best state for optometrist jobs, whereas Hawaii is the worst.
10 best states for optometrists in 2025
1. West Virginia
Total optometrist jobs: 40 Average annual salary: $175,120 Lowest 10 percent earn: $116,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $262,000 Location Quotient: 2.162. Nebraska
Total optometrist jobs: 39 Average annual salary: $167,768 Lowest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $259,000 Location Quotient: 1.443. North Carolina
Total optometrist jobs: 115 Average annual salary: $177,597 Lowest 10 percent earn: $119,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $264,000 Location Quotient: 0.994. Iowa
Total optometrist jobs: 54 Average annual salary: $163,803 Lowest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $255,000 Location Quotient: 1.225. Connecticut
Total optometrist jobs: 68 Average annual salary: $168,546 Lowest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $257,000 Location Quotient: 1.696. Vermont
Total optometrist jobs: 11 Average annual salary: $169,991 Lowest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $260,000 Location Quotient: 1.187. Wisconsin
Total optometrist jobs: 107 Average annual salary: $160,611 Lowest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $252,000 Location Quotient: 1.598. Alaska
Total optometrist jobs: 14 Average annual salary: $163,910 Lowest 10 percent earn: $103,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $259,000 Location Quotient: 1.389. Minnesota
Total optometrist jobs: 71 Average annual salary: $171,524 Lowest 10 percent earn: $112,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $262,000 Location Quotient: 0.8810. Kentucky
Total optometrist jobs: 47 Average annual salary: $160,986 Lowest 10 percent earn: $103,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $250,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
Optometrist JobsNear Ashburn, VA
How Zippia determines the best states to be an optometrist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an optometrist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | $175,120 | $116,000 | 1,815,857 | 40 |
| 2 | Nebraska | $167,768 | $108,000 | 1,920,076 | 39 |
| 3 | North Carolina | $177,597 | $119,000 | 10,273,419 | 115 |
| 4 | Iowa | $163,803 | $105,000 | 3,145,711 | 54 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $168,546 | $110,000 | 3,588,184 | 68 |
| 6 | Vermont | $169,991 | $110,000 | 623,657 | 11 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | $160,611 | $102,000 | 5,795,483 | 107 |
| 8 | Alaska | $163,910 | $103,000 | 739,795 | 14 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $171,524 | $112,000 | 5,576,606 | 71 |
| 10 | Kentucky | $160,986 | $103,000 | 4,454,189 | 47 |
| 11 | North Dakota | $175,009 | $115,000 | 755,393 | 5 |
| 12 | New York | $163,064 | $105,000 | 19,849,399 | 206 |
| 13 | South Carolina | $158,084 | $101,000 | 5,024,369 | 81 |
| 14 | Wyoming | $159,555 | $100,000 | 579,315 | 7 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $160,204 | $103,000 | 12,805,537 | 132 |
| 16 | Michigan | $161,061 | $103,000 | 9,962,311 | 74 |
| 17 | Maryland | $161,176 | $104,000 | 6,052,177 | 100 |
| 18 | Indiana | $155,795 | $98,000 | 6,666,818 | 76 |
| 19 | Alabama | $154,029 | $97,000 | 4,874,747 | 56 |
| 20 | Kansas | $154,472 | $97,000 | 2,913,123 | 37 |
| 21 | Delaware | $161,070 | $103,000 | 961,939 | 13 |
| 22 | Mississippi | $159,236 | $102,000 | 2,984,100 | 18 |
| 23 | Illinois | $160,735 | $102,000 | 12,802,023 | 113 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $161,374 | $104,000 | 9,005,644 | 79 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $147,339 | $91,000 | 4,684,333 | 63 |
| 26 | District of Columbia | $173,272 | $115,000 | 693,972 | 4 |
| 27 | Ohio | $155,183 | $98,000 | 11,658,609 | 71 |
| 28 | Utah | $152,447 | $95,000 | 3,101,833 | 34 |
| 29 | Missouri | $151,872 | $94,000 | 6,113,532 | 69 |
| 30 | Georgia | $149,657 | $94,000 | 10,429,379 | 129 |
| 31 | New Hampshire | $145,250 | $89,000 | 1,342,795 | 27 |
| 32 | Florida | $146,358 | $91,000 | 20,984,400 | 213 |
| 33 | Arizona | $142,937 | $87,000 | 7,016,270 | 105 |
| 34 | Virginia | $152,872 | $97,000 | 8,470,020 | 107 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $140,135 | $84,000 | 869,666 | 13 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $138,554 | $84,000 | 6,715,984 | 71 |
| 37 | Colorado | $151,100 | $93,000 | 5,607,154 | 63 |
| 38 | Washington | $148,955 | $91,000 | 7,405,743 | 78 |
| 39 | Texas | $143,131 | $88,000 | 28,304,596 | 211 |
| 40 | Maine | $131,774 | $78,000 | 1,335,907 | 26 |
| 41 | Massachusetts | $144,019 | $88,000 | 6,859,819 | 105 |
| 42 | Oregon | $145,527 | $88,000 | 4,142,776 | 43 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $108,314 | $61,000 | 2,088,070 | 56 |
| 44 | Nevada | $139,154 | $84,000 | 2,998,039 | 21 |
| 45 | California | $142,436 | $87,000 | 39,536,653 | 326 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $133,880 | $80,000 | 3,930,864 | 20 |
| 47 | Rhode Island | $136,244 | $82,000 | 1,059,639 | 8 |
| 48 | Idaho | $128,630 | $75,000 | 1,716,943 | 14 |
| 49 | Montana | $122,588 | $70,000 | 1,050,493 | 11 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $119,770 | $70,000 | 3,004,279 | 19 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $98,991 | $55,000 | 1,427,538 | 2 |
Highest paying states for optometrists
| Rank | State | Avg. Optometrist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | $175,120 |
| 2 | Nebraska | $167,768 |
| 3 | North Carolina | $177,597 |
| 4 | Iowa | $163,803 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $168,546 |
| 6 | Vermont | $169,991 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | $160,611 |
| 8 | Alaska | $163,910 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $171,524 |
| 10 | Kentucky | $160,986 |
| 11 | North Dakota | $175,009 |
| 12 | New York | $163,064 |
| 13 | South Carolina | $158,084 |
| 14 | Wyoming | $159,555 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $160,204 |
| 16 | Michigan | $161,061 |
| 17 | Maryland | $161,176 |
| 18 | Indiana | $155,795 |
| 19 | Alabama | $154,029 |
| 20 | Kansas | $154,472 |
| 21 | Delaware | $161,070 |
| 22 | Mississippi | $159,236 |
| 23 | Illinois | $160,735 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $161,374 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $147,339 |
| 26 | District of Columbia | $173,272 |
| 27 | Ohio | $155,183 |
| 28 | Utah | $152,447 |
| 29 | Missouri | $151,872 |
| 30 | Georgia | $149,657 |
| 31 | New Hampshire | $145,250 |
| 32 | Florida | $146,358 |
| 33 | Arizona | $142,937 |
| 34 | Virginia | $152,872 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $140,135 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $138,554 |
| 37 | Colorado | $151,100 |
| 38 | Washington | $148,955 |
| 39 | Texas | $143,131 |
| 40 | Maine | $131,774 |
| 41 | Massachusetts | $144,019 |
| 42 | Oregon | $145,527 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $108,314 |
| 44 | Nevada | $139,154 |
| 45 | California | $142,436 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $133,880 |
| 47 | Rhode Island | $136,244 |
| 48 | Idaho | $128,630 |
| 49 | Montana | $122,588 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $119,770 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $98,991 |
Expert opinions on the best states for optometrists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Optometrists to find work opportunities?
Michael Rothschild
Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Alabama at Birmingham
The best places to find opportunities in optometry are in rural areas. These areas are underserved in all aspects of medical care, including eye care. The need is great and OD's can practice full-scope medical care while appreciating respect from other medical providers in the area.
Optometrist best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025