Optometrists in California
Want to work in California as an Optometrist? Read this first!
You’re in luck! Jobs for Optometrists in California are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.
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Projected employment for Optometrists in California is growing faster than average.
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Optometrists in California earn higher salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.
What Major Will Prepare You For an Optometrist Career?
How Many Optometrists Work in California?
In California, there were 3,760 people working as Optometrists in the year 2018.
There were 3,810 Optometrists employed in this state in 2017.
That’s a decline of 50 jobs between 2017 and 2018.
The typical state has 505 Optometrists working in it, which means California has more Optometrists than average.
Job Projections for California
Jobs for Optometrists in this state are growing at a rate of 19.0% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 17.9%.
California Annual Job Openings
The BLS estimates 220 annual job openings, and a total of 5,000 jobs for California Optometrists in 2026.
Nationwide, the prediction is 2,000 annual jobs and 47,400 total jobs in 2026.
What do Optometrists Make in California?
In 2018 wages for Optometrists ranged from $69,450 to $180,410 with $111,790 being the median annual salary.
Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $33.39 to $86.74. The median hourly rate was $53.74.
Workers in this field were paid a median of $53.39 an hour in 2017.
The hourly rate grew by $0.35.
The median salary in California is higher than the nationwide median salary.
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Top California Metros for Optometrists
The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Optometrists.
| Metro | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,240 | $111,520 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | 480 | $113,610 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 410 | $116,880 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | 370 | $97,430 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 360 | $108,320 |
| Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA | 240 | $113,670 |
| Fresno, CA | 80 | $104,270 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | 60 | $128,040 |
| Bakersfield, CA | 50 | $117,360 |
| Modesto, CA | 50 | $112,430 |
| Salinas, CA | 50 | $109,770 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 50 | $102,120 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 40 | $103,720 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | 30 | $122,270 |
Top States for Optometrists Employment
View the list below to see where most Optometrists work.
| State | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| California | 3,760 | $111,790 |
| Texas | 2,750 | $111,720 |
| Illinois | 2,300 | $113,770 |
| New York | 2,040 | $122,230 |
| Florida | 1,590 | $104,280 |
| Michigan | 1,590 | $112,120 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,450 | $110,930 |
| Massachusetts | 1,200 | $124,890 |
| Ohio | 1,200 | $112,380 |
| New Jersey | 1,160 | $116,340 |
| Virginia | 1,090 | $120,940 |
| Indiana | 1,080 | $92,480 |
| North Carolina | 1,080 | $116,520 |
| Georgia | 990 | $91,900 |
| Minnesota | 900 | $117,380 |
| Colorado | 830 | $131,190 |
| Tennessee | 720 | $105,590 |
| Washington | 700 | $113,220 |
| Arizona | 660 | $123,700 |
| Oklahoma | 630 | $87,780 |
Below are the states where Optometrists get paid the most:
| State | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|
| North Dakota | $155,030 |
| Vermont | $141,880 |
| Alaska | $134,040 |
| Colorado | $131,190 |
| Maryland | $130,600 |
| Connecticut | $129,540 |
| Massachusetts | $124,890 |
| Arizona | $123,700 |
| New Hampshire | $122,720 |
| New York | $122,230 |
References
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
- College Factual
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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