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Salary · Optometrist · California

Optometrist salary in California: $136,300 median.

How pay for optometrists in California compares with the national figure and other states, and where in the state it is highest.

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Updated Nov 2, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025
Annual wage range · California · BLS May 2025
$136,300median in California

Hourly pay in California, BLS May 2025: 10th percentile $48.02 · 25th $59.12 · median $65.53 · 75th $79.95 · 90th $102.74.

Quick answer

Optometrists in California earned a median of $136,300 a year in May 2025 (BLS), 0% below the national median of $136,570. California ranked 22 of 51 for this occupation's median pay, with about 6,890 people employed.

California median
$136,300
$65.53/hr
U.S. median
$136,570
-0% in California
Rank among states
22 of 51
by median pay
Employed
6,890
location quotient 1.37
Key facts

More on optometrist pay in California

  • The median hourly wage for optometrists in California was $65.53 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

  • The middle half of optometrists in California earned between $122,960 and $166,300 a year in May 2025 (25th to 75th percentile, BLS).

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

  • The lowest-paid 10% of optometrists in California earned less than $99,890 a year in May 2025, and the top 10% more than $213,710 (BLS).

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

  • The mean annual wage for optometrists in California was $147,420 in May 2025, according to BLS; the mean is a different measure from the median.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

Metro areas

Where in California it pays most

Data Metropolitan areas in the state with at least 30 people employed in the occupation.

  1. Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$165,360
  2. Vallejo, CA$155,950
  3. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$142,580
  4. Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$140,160
  5. Chico, CA$139,890
  6. Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$139,020
  7. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$138,940
  8. Modesto, CA$137,480
Nearby in the ranking

States with similar pay

Data Ranked by state median, BLS May 2025.

  1. Kansas$138,580
  2. Vermont$137,290
  3. California$136,300
  4. Michigan$135,650
  5. Nevada$135,650

See all states on the national Optometrist salary page.

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Method

How this page is built

BLS OEWS state and metropolitan-area estimates for May 2025, for the occupation shown. Ranks compare state medians only.

What this page can't tell you
  • Cost of living, which changes what a salary is worth.
  • Pay at a specific employer or for self-employed workers.
Sources
  1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).

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