New York was 18.0% above the U.S. median for Optometrists. It ranked 5 of 52 state areas with a published annual median. Neither comparison adjusts for cost of living, benefits, experience, employer mix, or hours.
Price-level context
What the local median may buy
BEA's 2024 all-items price index for New York was 107.9, or 7.9% above the national price level. Its housing index was 122.2.
National-price-dollar proxy
$149,313
WageScope divides the published Optometrists median by the BEA all-items index. This is a price-level comparison, not take-home pay, a personal budget, or a quality-of-life score.
Use the local pay range, same-source bench marks, job scale, price level, and survey care marks as separate facts. This guide stays tied to SOC 29-1041 and BLS area 36.
Questions, answered
Optometrists pay in New York: common questions
What is the median wage for Optometrists in New York?
The May 2025 BLS OEWS release published a median of $161,140 per year for Optometrists in New York. This describes an occupation-area estimate, not a promised offer or an individual's pay.
Is Optometrists pay higher in New York than nationally?
New York's published median was 18.0% above the U.S. median for the same occupation and release.
Does the wage estimate adjust for cost of living in New York?
No. The BLS wage is nominal. WageScope separately shows BEA's 2024 all-items Regional Price Parity of 107.9 and a transparent national-price-dollar proxy.
How many Optometrists jobs does BLS estimate in New York?
BLS published an employment estimate of 2,390 wage and salary jobs for this exact row. It is a survey estimate, not a current opening count or forecast.
From market data to your evidence
Tailor for a real Optometrists job, not a generic wage number.
Pick an eligible listing, then MeritLog can help you prepare from experience you have confirmed. WageScope never turns a BLS estimate into a qualification or résumé claim.
The May 2025 BLS OEWS estimate puts the Optometrists median in New York at $161,140 per year. Median means the middle of the published wage spread. It is not one worker's pay. It is not a job offer. The row is tied to SOC 29-1041 and BLS area 36.
BLS lists 2,390 wage and salary jobs for this exact role-place row. That is a survey estimate. It is not a count of open posts. The local mean is $153,130 per year. Mean uses all wage values behind the estimate, so high or low values can move it away from the median.
New York's Optometrists median is 18.0% above the U.S. Optometrists median of $136,570 on the same published median. The comparison uses the same SOC code and source period. It does not add price levels, taxes, benefits, hours, or a person's work history.
This page exists because the BLS artifact has one row for SOC 29-1041 and area 36. SOC 29-1041 names Optometrists. Area 36 names New York. Both keys must match before WageScope can show or index this answer.
The 29-1041/36 row reports 2,390 wage and salary jobs, 0.25 jobs per 1,000 local jobs, and a 0.9 location quotient. Each value stays under the same two source keys.
For 29-1041/36, the annual median is $161,140 per year, while the matching mean is $153,130 per year. The row is published with annual and hourly fields. WageScope does not switch units to fill a blank.
Area 36 reports 9,688,000 wage and salary jobs across all covered occupations. Its annual mean is $82,460. Its annual median is $59,670. The employment RSE is 0%. The mean-wage RSE is 0.2%. These are facts for the whole area. They do not replace the 29-1041 row.
The all-jobs wage ladder in New York runs from $35,760 at the 10th percentile to $157,500 at the 90th percentile. The 25th percentile is $41,160. The median is $59,670. The 75th percentile is $98,810. This is a place check, not a pay range for Optometrists.
The source rows below are the six largest detailed roles in the bounded area file. Each keeps its own SOC code. They help a reader spot-check area 36. They do not show related skills or a path into Optometrists.
1. Area 36, SOC 31-1120, Home Health and Personal Care Aides: 663,140 jobs, $39,620 annual median, 68.45 jobs per 1,000, and 2.47 location quotient.
2. Area 36, SOC 41-2031, Retail Salespersons: 238,540 jobs, $37,720 annual median, 24.62 jobs per 1,000, and 0.98 location quotient.
3. Area 36, SOC 11-1021, General and Operations Managers: 206,740 jobs, $130,860 annual median, 21.34 jobs per 1,000, and 0.95 location quotient.
Pay range
Read the New York wage ladder for Optometrists
The 10th percentile is $95,460 per year. The 25th percentile is $127,900 per year. The median is $161,140 per year. The 75th percentile is $175,740 per year. The 90th percentile is $203,040 per year.
A percentile is a rank point, not a career stage. The 10th percentile does not mean new-worker pay. The 90th percentile does not mean a wage that comes after a set number of years. The points show how the wage values spread in the source. They do not say why one job sits at one point.
The middle half runs from $127,900 per year to $175,740 per year. The 10th-to-90th span is $107,580. Use the full ladder when a job post sits far from the median.
New York has a annual median of $161,140 per year. No exact state row is linked for this area. The U.S. row has $136,570 per year. WageScope keeps annual and hourly values apart.
A state comparison is not available for New York. New York is 18.0% above the United States on the same published median. A gap can reflect many things that are not in this row. WageScope reports the gap but does not name a cause.
The state and U.S. rows are bench marks, not replacements. They do not fill missing local facts. A state can hold many local labor markets. A national row can hold many states. Read the local row first, then use the broader rows to see scale.
New York ranks 5 of 52 among states and territories with a published annual median for Optometrists. The list keeps one SOC code, one map type, one wage metric, and one BLS release. It skips rows without the matching median.
Rank 5 of 52 is not a place score. A small wage gap can move a row several spots. The rank does not add local prices, job count, concentration, commute, taxes, or work rules. Use it only to find where the published median falls inside this like-for-like set.
The nearby rows below are the closest ranks, not chosen cities. Their pay, job counts, and local shares can differ. Open a peer page before making a deeper comparison. A title and one number are not enough for a move or pay choice.
2. Maryland has a Optometrists median of $165,840 per year, 780 estimated jobs, and a location quotient of 1.02.
3. North Carolina has a Optometrists median of $161,560 per year, 1,140 estimated jobs, and a location quotient of 0.84.
4. Delaware has a Optometrists median of $161,270 per year, 190 estimated jobs, and a location quotient of 1.39.
6. New Jersey has a Optometrists median of $159,040 per year, 1,380 estimated jobs, and a location quotient of 1.17.
7. Minnesota has a Optometrists median of $158,700 per year, 710 estimated jobs, and a location quotient of 0.88.
Pay leaders
Where Optometrists medians lead among states and territories
The rows below use the same SOC 29-1041, the same annual median, the same May 2025 BLS release, and the same state map type. Alaska has the highest published median in this set, at $170,310 per year. New York sits at $161,140 per year.
A pay lead is one fact. It does not show the size of the job base. It does not show how common Optometrists is in the local mix. It also does not add local prices. The bullets keep the median, job count, and location quotient together so a high wage is not read as a full market score.
Use this list to choose a deeper pair, not to choose a place. Open the two local pages. Check the full wage ladder, the job scale, the survey care marks, and the exact BEA price row when present. A missing median stays out of this rank instead of becoming zero.
1. Alaska has a Optometrists median of $170,310 per year, or $9,170 above New York. BLS lists 60 jobs there, compared with 2,390 in New York. The location quotient is 0.67.
2. Maryland has a Optometrists median of $165,840 per year, or $4,700 above New York. BLS lists 780 jobs there, compared with 2,390 in New York. The location quotient is 1.02.
3. North Carolina has a Optometrists median of $161,560 per year, or $420 above New York. BLS lists 1,140 jobs there, compared with 2,390 in New York. The location quotient is 0.84.
Job-base leaders
Where BLS counts the most Optometrists jobs
California has the largest published state job estimate for Optometrists in this same-source set, at 6,890 jobs. New York has 2,390. The count shows covered job scale, not open posts.
A large job base can have a lower median than a smaller one. It can also have a location quotient near or below 1. That is why WageScope does not blend job count, pay, and local share. Each field keeps its name and unit. The rows below let you compare all three without making one score.
Current MeritLog listings can add a dated view of employer-title matches. They do not change this May 2025 order. A place with few current cards can still have a large BLS job estimate. A place with several cards can still have a smaller estimate. The sources use different clocks and scopes.
1. California has 6,890 estimated Optometrists jobs, a gap of 4,500 jobs from New York. Its median is $136,300 per year, or $24,840 below New York. Its location quotient is 1.37.
2. Texas has 4,110 estimated Optometrists jobs, a gap of 1,720 jobs from New York. Its median is $126,000 per year, or $35,140 below New York. Its location quotient is 1.06.
3. New York has 2,390 estimated Optometrists jobs, a gap of 0 jobs from New York. Its median is $161,140 per year, or $0 above New York. Its location quotient is 0.9.
Local-share leaders
Where Optometrists takes the largest share of local jobs
Rhode Island has the highest published location quotient in this state set, at 1.82. New York has 0.9. A value above 1 means the role's local job share is larger than its national share.
A high quotient can come from a small local job base. It does not prove more jobs, more posts, faster growth, or higher pay. The bullets keep each quotient beside its BLS job count and median. This lets a reader see when the three measures point in different ways.
Use this list to ask where Optometrists is a large part of the local mix. Use the employment list to ask where BLS counts the most jobs. Use the pay list to ask where the median is highest. None of those lists decides where a person should work.
1. Rhode Island has a location quotient of 1.82, a gap of 0.92 from New York. BLS lists 250 Optometrists jobs and a median of $134,520 per year, or $26,620 below New York.
2. Kansas has a location quotient of 1.66, a gap of 0.76 from New York. BLS lists 660 Optometrists jobs and a median of $138,580 per year, or $22,560 below New York.
3. South Dakota has a location quotient of 1.5, a gap of 0.60 from New York. BLS lists 190 Optometrists jobs and a median of $102,320 per year, or $58,820 below New York.
Job scale and share
How common Optometrists is in New York
BLS lists 2,390 Optometrists jobs in New York. It also lists 0.25 jobs per 1,000 local jobs. Jobs per 1,000 turns the count into a rate. It helps compare places of different size. It does not show open posts or hiring speed.
The location quotient is 0.9. A value of 1 means Optometrists has the same share of local jobs as it has across the nation. This row is lower than 1. The quotient is a share check, not a wage or a growth measure.
Read the three values as separate facts. Employment asks how many covered jobs BLS estimated. Jobs per 1,000 asks how much of the local job base the role takes. Location quotient asks how that share compares with the national share. None of them tells you how many posts are open today.
The all-occupations median in New York is $59,670 per year. The Optometrists median is $161,140 per year. Optometrists is 170.1% above the local all-occupations median on the same published median. This compares one role with the full covered job mix.
The nearby role medians below come from the bounded detailed-role table for New York. They are close by wage, not by task. A small wage gap does not mean two jobs need the same skill or lead to the same career. Official titles keep their own SOC codes and source rows.
Use the list to spot the local wage mix around Optometrists. Then open the role page you mean. A role can have a similar median and a very different job count or local share. The pay number alone cannot show fit, demand, or a path between jobs.
1. Software Developers, SOC 15-1252, has a New York median of $166,180 per year. BLS lists 113,510 jobs and a location quotient of 1.08.
2. General and Operations Managers, SOC 11-1021, has a New York median of $130,860 per year. BLS lists 206,740 jobs and a location quotient of 0.95.
3. Lawyers, SOC 23-1011, has a New York median of $207,860 per year. BLS lists 91,870 jobs and a location quotient of 1.95.
4. Management Analysts, SOC 13-1111, has a New York median of $112,250 per year. BLS lists 69,150 jobs and a location quotient of 1.24.
Area job mix
The largest detailed roles in New York
Home Health and Personal Care Aides is the largest detailed occupation in the bounded New York table, at 663,140 jobs. Optometrists has 2,390 jobs in its exact role-place row. The two counts show where this role sits beside other large parts of the local job base.
The all-occupations job count is 9,688,000. The detailed list below is only a bounded view of that larger mix. It does not sum to every local job. It does not include a blank role as zero. It helps explain why one role's wage and job count should not stand in for the whole area.
A large role can have a lower median. A smaller role can have a higher one. Job count does not show current posts, job quality, or growth. Use the list to see local scale. Then keep Optometrists's own median, spread, and share in their own fields.
1. Home Health and Personal Care Aides has 663,140 jobs in New York, a gap of 660,750 from Optometrists. Its median is $39,620 per year, or $121,520 below Optometrists. Its location quotient is 2.47.
2. Retail Salespersons has 238,540 jobs in New York, a gap of 236,150 from Optometrists. Its median is $37,720 per year, or $123,420 below Optometrists. Its location quotient is 0.98.
3. General and Operations Managers has 206,740 jobs in New York, a gap of 204,350 from Optometrists. Its median is $130,860 per year, or $30,280 below Optometrists. Its location quotient is 0.95.
Area pay mix
Published role medians around New York
Financial Managers has the highest published median in the bounded New York role table, at $219,880 per year. Optometrists has $161,140 per year. This puts the role beside a local pay range without blending the source rows.
The local all-occupations median is $59,670 per year. A role above that mark is not better. A role below it is not worse. The mark only shows where the role's published median sits against the full covered job mix. Job tasks, level, hours, and work setting are separate facts.
The bullets keep each SOC title, job count, median, and local share together. Use them to find a role page worth opening. Do not use a close median as proof that two roles share skills or that one is a path to the other.
1. Financial Managers has a median of $219,880 per year in New York, or $58,740 above Optometrists. BLS lists 80,810 jobs, compared with 2,390 for Optometrists. Its location quotient is 1.54.
2. Lawyers has a median of $207,860 per year in New York, or $46,720 above Optometrists. BLS lists 91,870 jobs, compared with 2,390 for Optometrists. Its location quotient is 1.95.
3. Software Developers has a median of $166,180 per year in New York, or $5,040 above Optometrists. BLS lists 113,510 jobs, compared with 2,390 for Optometrists. Its location quotient is 1.08.
Area role shares
Roles with the largest local share in New York
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants has the highest location quotient in the bounded New York role table, at 3.1. Optometrists has 0.9. Both values compare a local job share with the matching national share.
A quotient above 1 means the role takes a larger share of local jobs than it does across the nation. It does not mean more jobs than every other role. It does not mean open posts, growth, or high pay. The job count and median beside each row answer those other narrow questions.
The local role-share mix can differ a lot from the pay mix. Read both lists. Then compare Optometrists with the same SOC code in another place. This keeps a broad area pattern from replacing the exact role-place row.
1. Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants has a location quotient of 3.1 in New York, a gap of 2.20 from Optometrists. BLS lists 88,890 jobs and a median of $80,640 per year, or $80,500 below Optometrists.
2. Home Health and Personal Care Aides has a location quotient of 2.47 in New York, a gap of 1.57 from Optometrists. BLS lists 663,140 jobs and a median of $39,620 per year, or $121,520 below Optometrists.
3. Lawyers has a location quotient of 1.95 in New York, a gap of 1.05 from Optometrists. BLS lists 91,870 jobs and a median of $207,860 per year, or $46,720 above Optometrists.
Price-level view
What $161,140 may mean after the New York price level
BEA's 2024 all-items price index for New York is 107.9. The U.S. level is 100. The local level is 7.9% above that mark. This is a broad price comparison. It is not a personal budget.
WageScope divides the $161,140 Optometrists median by 107.9 divided by 100. The result is $149,313 in national-price dollars per year. This proxy keeps the math clear. It is not take-home pay and does not set a move target.
Housing is 122.2. Goods are 107.3. Utilities are 134.4. Other services are 104.1. The parts do not move as one. WageScope uses BEA's all-items index for the proxy and does not make its own basket.
The employment RSE for this Optometrists row is 11.1%. The mean-wage RSE is 3.7%. RSE means relative standard error. It is a survey precision flag. A smaller value often means less sampling uncertainty. It is not the chance that one person's pay is right or wrong.
The employment RSE belongs to the 2,390 job estimate. The mean-wage RSE belongs to the $153,130 mean. BLS does not give the same RSE field for the median or every percentile. WageScope does not move an RSE from one field to another.
A local row can change in a new release. A small role-place sample can also have more survey uncertainty than a broad national row. Keep the May 2025 date next to the value. Do not mix a newer job post with the BLS date as if both facts came from one clock.
The job block looks for strict employer-title matches to Optometrists. It uses a New York place filter only when the public place list has an exact approved match. If that match is not safe, the page says the jobs are not narrowed to this place. A false negative is safer than showing a different role.
Each card keeps its employer, place, source, and seen date. Listings can change between visits while the survey figures stay tied to their release date. A listing range does not replace the $161,140 BLS median. The listing and survey answer different questions.
Open one listing. Check its level, work place, pay range, and needs. Then tailor with work facts you can support. Do not turn a wage, job count, rank, or price proxy into a résumé claim. The public page is read only. It does not save a job or start a draft on load.
What the Optometrists row for New York does not claim
The row does not say what one person earns. It does not promise a job, offer, raise, or move result. It does not say why the local median differs from the U.S. row. It does not add tips, bonus pay, stock, benefits, taxes, or work hours unless those items are in the BLS wage measure.
The 2,390 job estimate is not a live opening count. The location quotient of 0.9 is not a growth score. Rank 5 of 52 is not a place score. The 107.9 price index is not a personal budget.
Use the row for one clear task. Read the May 2025 wage spread for SOC 29-1041 in BLS area 36. Compare the same metric with the state and U.S. rows. Add the separate 2024 price level when present. Inspect a dated job match. Then use confirmed work facts for a résumé.
Are the current job listings included in the BLS wage calculation?
No. MeritLog shows eligible live public-catalog listings separately, with their own source and observation date. Posted pay never changes the official BLS distribution.
4. Area 36, SOC 29-1141, Registered Nurses: 205,810 jobs, $109,440 annual median, 21.24 jobs per 1,000, and 0.98 location quotient.
5. Area 36, SOC 37-2011, Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners: 195,250 jobs, $41,640 annual median, 20.15 jobs per 1,000, and 1.42 location quotient.
6. Area 36, SOC 35-3023, Fast Food and Counter Workers: 168,620 jobs, $35,250 annual median, 17.41 jobs per 1,000, and 0.7 location quotient.
4. Delaware has a Optometrists median of $161,270 per year, or $130 above New York. BLS lists 190 jobs there, compared with 2,390 in New York. The location quotient is 1.39.
5. New York has a Optometrists median of $161,140 per year, or $0 above New York. BLS lists 2,390 jobs there, compared with 2,390 in New York. The location quotient is 0.9.
6. New Jersey has a Optometrists median of $159,040 per year, or $2,100 below New York. BLS lists 1,380 jobs there, compared with 2,390 in New York. The location quotient is 1.17.
7. Minnesota has a Optometrists median of $158,700 per year, or $2,440 below New York. BLS lists 710 jobs there, compared with 2,390 in New York. The location quotient is 0.88.
8. Washington has a Optometrists median of $157,560 per year, or $3,580 below New York. BLS lists 760 jobs there, compared with 2,390 in New York. The location quotient is 0.78.
4. Florida has 2,350 estimated Optometrists jobs, a gap of 40 jobs from New York. Its median is $151,670 per year, or $9,470 below New York. Its location quotient is 0.86.
5. Pennsylvania has 1,720 estimated Optometrists jobs, a gap of 670 jobs from New York. Its median is $135,400 per year, or $25,740 below New York. Its location quotient is 1.03.
6. Illinois has 1,540 estimated Optometrists jobs, a gap of 850 jobs from New York. Its median is $145,620 per year, or $15,520 below New York. Its location quotient is 0.92.
7. Michigan has 1,410 estimated Optometrists jobs, a gap of 980 jobs from New York. Its median is $135,650 per year, or $25,490 below New York. Its location quotient is 1.16.
8. New Jersey has 1,380 estimated Optometrists jobs, a gap of 1,010 jobs from New York. Its median is $159,040 per year, or $2,100 below New York. Its location quotient is 1.17.
4. Delaware has a location quotient of 1.39, a gap of 0.49 from New York. BLS lists 190 Optometrists jobs and a median of $161,270 per year, or $130 above New York.
5. California has a location quotient of 1.37, a gap of 0.47 from New York. BLS lists 6,890 Optometrists jobs and a median of $136,300 per year, or $24,840 below New York.
6. Hawaii has a location quotient of 1.32, a gap of 0.42 from New York. BLS lists 230 Optometrists jobs and a median of $154,620 per year, or $6,520 below New York.
7. Arizona has a location quotient of 1.21, a gap of 0.31 from New York. BLS lists 1,080 Optometrists jobs and a median of $122,250 per year, or $38,890 below New York.
8. Oklahoma has a location quotient of 1.21, a gap of 0.31 from New York. BLS lists 570 Optometrists jobs and a median of $97,350 per year, or $63,790 below New York.
5. Registered Nurses, SOC 29-1141, has a New York median of $109,440 per year. BLS lists 205,810 jobs and a location quotient of 0.98.
6. Accountants and Auditors, SOC 13-2011, has a New York median of $102,640 per year. BLS lists 109,830 jobs and a location quotient of 1.22.
7. Financial Managers, SOC 11-3031, has a New York median of $219,880 per year. BLS lists 80,810 jobs and a location quotient of 1.54.
8. Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists, SOC 13-1161, has a New York median of $98,580 per year. BLS lists 80,500 jobs and a location quotient of 1.44.
4. Registered Nurses has 205,810 jobs in New York, a gap of 203,420 from Optometrists. Its median is $109,440 per year, or $51,700 below Optometrists. Its location quotient is 0.98.
5. Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners has 195,250 jobs in New York, a gap of 192,860 from Optometrists. Its median is $41,640 per year, or $119,500 below Optometrists. Its location quotient is 1.42.
6. Fast Food and Counter Workers has 168,620 jobs in New York, a gap of 166,230 from Optometrists. Its median is $35,250 per year, or $125,890 below Optometrists. Its location quotient is 0.7.
7. Cashiers has 158,890 jobs in New York, a gap of 156,500 from Optometrists. Its median is $35,500 per year, or $125,640 below Optometrists. Its location quotient is 0.83.
8. Stockers and Order Fillers has 146,140 jobs in New York, a gap of 143,750 from Optometrists. Its median is $39,030 per year, or $122,110 below Optometrists. Its location quotient is 0.83.
4. General and Operations Managers has a median of $130,860 per year in New York, or $30,280 below Optometrists. BLS lists 206,740 jobs, compared with 2,390 for Optometrists. Its location quotient is 0.95.
5. Management Analysts has a median of $112,250 per year in New York, or $48,890 below Optometrists. BLS lists 69,150 jobs, compared with 2,390 for Optometrists. Its location quotient is 1.24.
6. Registered Nurses has a median of $109,440 per year in New York, or $51,700 below Optometrists. BLS lists 205,810 jobs, compared with 2,390 for Optometrists. Its location quotient is 0.98.
7. Accountants and Auditors has a median of $102,640 per year in New York, or $58,500 below Optometrists. BLS lists 109,830 jobs, compared with 2,390 for Optometrists. Its location quotient is 1.22.
8. Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists has a median of $98,580 per year in New York, or $62,560 below Optometrists. BLS lists 80,500 jobs, compared with 2,390 for Optometrists. Its location quotient is 1.44.
4. Security Guards has a location quotient of 1.68 in New York, a gap of 0.78 from Optometrists. BLS lists 134,700 jobs and a median of $44,240 per year, or $116,900 below Optometrists.
5. Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary has a location quotient of 1.56 in New York, a gap of 0.66 from Optometrists. BLS lists 137,820 jobs and a median of $38,240 per year, or $122,900 below Optometrists.
6. Financial Managers has a location quotient of 1.54 in New York, a gap of 0.64 from Optometrists. BLS lists 80,810 jobs and a median of $219,880 per year, or $58,740 above Optometrists.
7. Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists has a location quotient of 1.44 in New York, a gap of 0.54 from Optometrists. BLS lists 80,500 jobs and a median of $98,580 per year, or $62,560 below Optometrists.
8. Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners has a location quotient of 1.42 in New York, a gap of 0.52 from Optometrists. BLS lists 195,250 jobs and a median of $41,640 per year, or $119,500 below Optometrists.
Precise employer-title matches for Optometrists in New York
Filtered through MeritLog's approved New York place record and a strict employer-title rule. Listings are not classified by BLS and remain separate from BLS and BEA estimates.
