Optometrists in Illinois
Get the information you need to know about working as an Optometrist.
You’re in luck! Jobs for Optometrists in Illinois are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.
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Projected employment for Optometrists in Illinois is growing faster than average.
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Optometrists in Illinois earn higher salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.
What Major Will Prepare You For an Optometrist Career?
How Many Optometrists Work in Illinois?
2,300 people worked as Optometrists in 2018 in this state.
There were 2,150 Optometrists employed in this state in 2017.
That’s growth of 150 jobs between 2017 and 2018.
The typical state has 505 Optometrists working in it, which means Illinois has more Optometrists than average.
Job Projections for Illinois
Jobs for Optometrists in this state are growing at a rate of 7.1% which is slower than the nationwide estimated projection of 17.9%.
Illinois Annual Job Openings
The BLS estimates there will be 100 annual job openings, and 2,850 total jobs in 2026 for Optometrists in this state.
Nationwide, the prediction is 2,000 annual jobs and 47,400 total jobs in 2026.
What do Optometrists Make in Illinois?
In 2018 wages for Optometrists ranged from $71,870 to $184,930 with $113,770 being the median annual salary.
Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $34.55 to $88.91. The median hourly rate was $54.7.
In 2017 the median pay for this field was $52.58 an hour.
The hourly rate grew by $2.12.
The median salary in Illinois is higher than the nationwide median salary.
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Top Illinois Metros for Optometrists
The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Optometrists.
Metro | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 1,870 | $114,210 |
St. Louis, MO-IL | 350 | $108,880 |
Peoria, IL | 40 | $88,870 |
Top States for Optometrists Employment
The table below shows the states 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.