Optometrists in Kentucky
Is Kentucky a good place for you to work as an Optometrist?
You’re in luck! Jobs for Optometrists in Kentucky are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.
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Projected employment for Optometrists in Kentucky is growing faster than average.
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Optometrists in Kentucky earn higher salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.
What Major Will Prepare You For an Optometrist Career?
How Many Optometrists Work in Kentucky?
In Kentucky, there were 480 people working as Optometrists in the year 2018.
There were 480 Optometrists employed in this state in 2017.
The amount of jobs between 2017 and 2018 is holding steady.
The typical state has 505 Optometrists working in it, which means Kentucky has fewer Optometrists than average.
Job Projections for Kentucky
Jobs for Optometrists in this state are growing at a rate of 14.8% which is slower than the nationwide estimated projection of 17.9%.
Kentucky Annual Job Openings
The BLS estimates there will be 30 annual job openings, and 620 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 Kentucky?
In 2018 wages for Optometrists ranged from $47,580 to $190,860 with $97,540 being the median annual salary.
Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $22.88 to $91.76. The median hourly rate was $46.9.
In 2017 the median pay for this field was $49.13 an hour.
The hourly rate declined by $2.23.
The median salary in Kentucky is higher than the nationwide median salary.
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Top Kentucky Metros for Optometrists
The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Optometrists.
Metro | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 210 | $116,110 |
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 200 | $82,520 |
Evansville, IN-KY | 80 | n/a |
Lexington-Fayette, KY | 70 | $134,070 |
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.