Texas was 7.7% below the U.S. median for Optometrists. It ranked 38 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 Texas was 97.1, or 2.9% below the national price level. Its housing index was 96.5.
National-price-dollar proxy
$129,821
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 48.
Questions, answered
Optometrists pay in Texas: common questions
What is the median wage for Optometrists in Texas?
The May 2025 BLS OEWS release published a median of $126,000 per year for Optometrists in Texas. This describes an occupation-area estimate, not a promised offer or an individual's pay.
Is Optometrists pay higher in Texas than nationally?
Texas's published median was 7.7% below the U.S. median for the same occupation and release.
Does the wage estimate adjust for cost of living in Texas?
No. The BLS wage is nominal. WageScope separately shows BEA's 2024 all-items Regional Price Parity of 97.1 and a transparent national-price-dollar proxy.
How many Optometrists jobs does BLS estimate in Texas?
BLS published an employment estimate of 4,110 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 Texas at $126,000 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 48.
BLS lists 4,110 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 $124,760 per year. Mean uses all wage values behind the estimate, so high or low values can move it away from the median.
Texas's Optometrists median is 7.7% below 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 48. SOC 29-1041 names Optometrists. Area 48 names Texas. Both keys must match before WageScope can show or index this answer.
The 29-1041/48 row reports 4,110 wage and salary jobs, 0.29 jobs per 1,000 local jobs, and a 1.06 location quotient. Each value stays under the same two source keys.
For 29-1041/48, the annual median is $126,000 per year, while the matching mean is $124,760 per year. The row is published with annual and hourly fields. WageScope does not switch units to fill a blank.
Area 48 reports 14,071,160 wage and salary jobs across all covered occupations. Its annual mean is $65,750. Its annual median is $48,620. 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 Texas runs from $27,250 at the 10th percentile to $125,220 at the 90th percentile. The 25th percentile is $35,370. The median is $48,620. The 75th percentile is $77,840. 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 48. They do not show related skills or a path into Optometrists.
1. Area 48, SOC 35-3023, Fast Food and Counter Workers: 460,530 jobs, $27,740 annual median, 32.73 jobs per 1,000, and 1.32 location quotient.
2. Area 48, SOC 11-1021, General and Operations Managers: 431,310 jobs, $103,230 annual median, 30.65 jobs per 1,000, and 1.36 location quotient.
3. Area 48, SOC 41-2031, Retail Salespersons: 341,640 jobs, $30,800 annual median, 24.28 jobs per 1,000, and 0.97 location quotient.
4. Area 48, SOC 43-4051, Customer Service Representatives: 337,170 jobs, $40,420 annual median, 23.96 jobs per 1,000, and 1.44 location quotient.
Pay range
Read the Texas wage ladder for Optometrists
The 10th percentile is $54,180 per year. The 25th percentile is $101,700 per year. The median is $126,000 per year. The 75th percentile is $155,090 per year. The 90th percentile is $164,420 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 $101,700 per year to $155,090 per year. The 10th-to-90th span is $110,240. Use the full ladder when a job post sits far from the median.
Texas has a annual median of $126,000 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 Texas. Texas is 7.7% below 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.
Texas ranks 38 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 38 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.
35. Virginia has a Optometrists median of $131,570 per year, 1,110 estimated jobs, and a location quotient of 0.98.
36. Kentucky has a Optometrists median of $128,860 per year, 430 estimated jobs, and a location quotient of 0.79.
37. Georgia has a Optometrists median of $128,830 per year, 870 estimated jobs, and a location quotient of 0.65.
39. New Hampshire has a Optometrists median of $125,560 per year, 210 estimated jobs, and a location quotient of 1.12.
40. Iowa has a Optometrists median of $125,380 per year, 450 estimated jobs, and a location quotient of 1.05.
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. Texas sits at $126,000 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 $44,310 above Texas. BLS lists 60 jobs there, compared with 4,110 in Texas. The location quotient is 0.67.
2. Maryland has a Optometrists median of $165,840 per year, or $39,840 above Texas. BLS lists 780 jobs there, compared with 4,110 in Texas. The location quotient is 1.02.
3. North Carolina has a Optometrists median of $161,560 per year, or $35,560 above Texas. BLS lists 1,140 jobs there, compared with 4,110 in Texas. 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. Texas has 4,110. 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 2,780 jobs from Texas. Its median is $136,300 per year, or $10,300 above Texas. Its location quotient is 1.37.
2. Texas has 4,110 estimated Optometrists jobs, a gap of 0 jobs from Texas. Its median is $126,000 per year, or $0 above Texas. Its location quotient is 1.06.
3. New York has 2,390 estimated Optometrists jobs, a gap of 1,720 jobs from Texas. Its median is $161,140 per year, or $35,140 above Texas. 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. Texas has 1.06. 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 0.76 from Texas. BLS lists 250 Optometrists jobs and a median of $134,520 per year, or $8,520 above Texas.
2. Kansas has a location quotient of 1.66, a gap of 0.60 from Texas. BLS lists 660 Optometrists jobs and a median of $138,580 per year, or $12,580 above Texas.
3. South Dakota has a location quotient of 1.5, a gap of 0.44 from Texas. BLS lists 190 Optometrists jobs and a median of $102,320 per year, or $23,680 below Texas.
Job scale and share
How common Optometrists is in Texas
BLS lists 4,110 Optometrists jobs in Texas. It also lists 0.29 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 1.06. A value of 1 means Optometrists has the same share of local jobs as it has across the nation. This row is higher 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 Texas is $48,620 per year. The Optometrists median is $126,000 per year. Optometrists is 159.2% 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 Texas. 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 Texas median of $132,150 per year. BLS lists 163,880 jobs and a location quotient of 1.07.
2. General and Operations Managers, SOC 11-1021, has a Texas median of $103,230 per year. BLS lists 431,310 jobs and a location quotient of 1.36.
3. Project Management Specialists, SOC 13-1082, has a Texas median of $98,440 per year. BLS lists 138,960 jobs and a location quotient of 1.44.
Area job mix
The largest detailed roles in Texas
Fast Food and Counter Workers is the largest detailed occupation in the bounded Texas table, at 460,530 jobs. Optometrists has 4,110 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 14,071,160. 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. Fast Food and Counter Workers has 460,530 jobs in Texas, a gap of 456,420 from Optometrists. Its median is $27,740 per year, or $98,260 below Optometrists. Its location quotient is 1.32.
2. General and Operations Managers has 431,310 jobs in Texas, a gap of 427,200 from Optometrists. Its median is $103,230 per year, or $22,770 below Optometrists. Its location quotient is 1.36.
3. Retail Salespersons has 341,640 jobs in Texas, a gap of 337,530 from Optometrists. Its median is $30,800 per year, or $95,200 below Optometrists. Its location quotient is 0.97.
Area pay mix
Published role medians around Texas
Software Developers has the highest published median in the bounded Texas role table, at $132,150 per year. Optometrists has $126,000 per year. This puts the role beside a local pay range without blending the source rows.
The local all-occupations median is $48,620 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. Software Developers has a median of $132,150 per year in Texas, or $6,150 above Optometrists. BLS lists 163,880 jobs, compared with 4,110 for Optometrists. Its location quotient is 1.07.
2. General and Operations Managers has a median of $103,230 per year in Texas, or $22,770 below Optometrists. BLS lists 431,310 jobs, compared with 4,110 for Optometrists. Its location quotient is 1.36.
3. Project Management Specialists has a median of $98,440 per year in Texas, or $27,560 below Optometrists. BLS lists 138,960 jobs, compared with 4,110 for Optometrists. Its location quotient is 1.44.
Area role shares
Roles with the largest local share in Texas
Customer Service Representatives has the highest location quotient in the bounded Texas role table, at 1.44. Optometrists has 1.06. 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. Customer Service Representatives has a location quotient of 1.44 in Texas, a gap of 0.38 from Optometrists. BLS lists 337,170 jobs and a median of $40,420 per year, or $85,580 below Optometrists.
2. Project Management Specialists has a location quotient of 1.44 in Texas, a gap of 0.38 from Optometrists. BLS lists 138,960 jobs and a median of $98,440 per year, or $27,560 below Optometrists.
3. General and Operations Managers has a location quotient of 1.36 in Texas, a gap of 0.30 from Optometrists. BLS lists 431,310 jobs and a median of $103,230 per year, or $22,770 below Optometrists.
Price-level view
What $126,000 may mean after the Texas price level
BEA's 2024 all-items price index for Texas is 97.1. The U.S. level is 100. The local level is 2.9% below that mark. This is a broad price comparison. It is not a personal budget.
WageScope divides the $126,000 Optometrists median by 97.1 divided by 100. The result is $129,821 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 96.5. Goods are 98.1. Utilities are 87.5. Other services are 97.1. 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 12.5%. The mean-wage RSE is 2.6%. 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 4,110 job estimate. The mean-wage RSE belongs to the $124,760 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 Texas 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 $126,000 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 Texas 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 4,110 job estimate is not a live opening count. The location quotient of 1.06 is not a growth score. Rank 38 of 52 is not a place score. The 97.1 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 48. 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.
5. Area 48, SOC 31-1120, Home Health and Personal Care Aides: 329,590 jobs, $24,230 annual median, 23.42 jobs per 1,000, and 0.85 location quotient.
6. Area 48, SOC 53-7065, Stockers and Order Fillers: 322,710 jobs, $36,840 annual median, 22.93 jobs per 1,000, and 1.26 location quotient.
4. Delaware has a Optometrists median of $161,270 per year, or $35,270 above Texas. BLS lists 190 jobs there, compared with 4,110 in Texas. The location quotient is 1.39.
5. New York has a Optometrists median of $161,140 per year, or $35,140 above Texas. BLS lists 2,390 jobs there, compared with 4,110 in Texas. The location quotient is 0.9.
6. New Jersey has a Optometrists median of $159,040 per year, or $33,040 above Texas. BLS lists 1,380 jobs there, compared with 4,110 in Texas. The location quotient is 1.17.
7. Minnesota has a Optometrists median of $158,700 per year, or $32,700 above Texas. BLS lists 710 jobs there, compared with 4,110 in Texas. The location quotient is 0.88.
8. Washington has a Optometrists median of $157,560 per year, or $31,560 above Texas. BLS lists 760 jobs there, compared with 4,110 in Texas. The location quotient is 0.78.
4. Florida has 2,350 estimated Optometrists jobs, a gap of 1,760 jobs from Texas. Its median is $151,670 per year, or $25,670 above Texas. Its location quotient is 0.86.
5. Pennsylvania has 1,720 estimated Optometrists jobs, a gap of 2,390 jobs from Texas. Its median is $135,400 per year, or $9,400 above Texas. Its location quotient is 1.03.
6. Illinois has 1,540 estimated Optometrists jobs, a gap of 2,570 jobs from Texas. Its median is $145,620 per year, or $19,620 above Texas. Its location quotient is 0.92.
7. Michigan has 1,410 estimated Optometrists jobs, a gap of 2,700 jobs from Texas. Its median is $135,650 per year, or $9,650 above Texas. Its location quotient is 1.16.
8. New Jersey has 1,380 estimated Optometrists jobs, a gap of 2,730 jobs from Texas. Its median is $159,040 per year, or $33,040 above Texas. Its location quotient is 1.17.
4. Delaware has a location quotient of 1.39, a gap of 0.33 from Texas. BLS lists 190 Optometrists jobs and a median of $161,270 per year, or $35,270 above Texas.
5. California has a location quotient of 1.37, a gap of 0.31 from Texas. BLS lists 6,890 Optometrists jobs and a median of $136,300 per year, or $10,300 above Texas.
6. Hawaii has a location quotient of 1.32, a gap of 0.26 from Texas. BLS lists 230 Optometrists jobs and a median of $154,620 per year, or $28,620 above Texas.
7. Arizona has a location quotient of 1.21, a gap of 0.15 from Texas. BLS lists 1,080 Optometrists jobs and a median of $122,250 per year, or $3,750 below Texas.
8. Oklahoma has a location quotient of 1.21, a gap of 0.15 from Texas. BLS lists 570 Optometrists jobs and a median of $97,350 per year, or $28,650 below Texas.
4. Registered Nurses, SOC 29-1141, has a Texas median of $95,970 per year. BLS lists 271,380 jobs and a location quotient of 0.89.
5. Accountants and Auditors, SOC 13-2011, has a Texas median of $80,920 per year. BLS lists 116,470 jobs and a location quotient of 0.89.
6. Business Operations Specialists, All Other, SOC 13-1199, has a Texas median of $80,820 per year. BLS lists 104,270 jobs and a location quotient of 1.06.
7. First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers, SOC 43-1011, has a Texas median of $64,940 per year. BLS lists 160,600 jobs and a location quotient of 1.24.
8. Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education, SOC 25-2031, has a Texas median of $63,590 per year. BLS lists 111,660 jobs and a location quotient of 1.16.
4. Customer Service Representatives has 337,170 jobs in Texas, a gap of 333,060 from Optometrists. Its median is $40,420 per year, or $85,580 below Optometrists. Its location quotient is 1.44.
5. Home Health and Personal Care Aides has 329,590 jobs in Texas, a gap of 325,480 from Optometrists. Its median is $24,230 per year, or $101,770 below Optometrists. Its location quotient is 0.85.
6. Stockers and Order Fillers has 322,710 jobs in Texas, a gap of 318,600 from Optometrists. Its median is $36,840 per year, or $89,160 below Optometrists. Its location quotient is 1.26.
7. Registered Nurses has 271,380 jobs in Texas, a gap of 267,270 from Optometrists. Its median is $95,970 per year, or $30,030 below Optometrists. Its location quotient is 0.89.
8. Cashiers has 245,730 jobs in Texas, a gap of 241,620 from Optometrists. Its median is $29,230 per year, or $96,770 below Optometrists. Its location quotient is 0.88.
4. Registered Nurses has a median of $95,970 per year in Texas, or $30,030 below Optometrists. BLS lists 271,380 jobs, compared with 4,110 for Optometrists. Its location quotient is 0.89.
5. Accountants and Auditors has a median of $80,920 per year in Texas, or $45,080 below Optometrists. BLS lists 116,470 jobs, compared with 4,110 for Optometrists. Its location quotient is 0.89.
6. Business Operations Specialists, All Other has a median of $80,820 per year in Texas, or $45,180 below Optometrists. BLS lists 104,270 jobs, compared with 4,110 for Optometrists. Its location quotient is 1.06.
7. First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers has a median of $64,940 per year in Texas, or $61,060 below Optometrists. BLS lists 160,600 jobs, compared with 4,110 for Optometrists. Its location quotient is 1.24.
8. Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education has a median of $63,590 per year in Texas, or $62,410 below Optometrists. BLS lists 111,660 jobs, compared with 4,110 for Optometrists. Its location quotient is 1.16.
4. Fast Food and Counter Workers has a location quotient of 1.32 in Texas, a gap of 0.26 from Optometrists. BLS lists 460,530 jobs and a median of $27,740 per year, or $98,260 below Optometrists.
5. Stockers and Order Fillers has a location quotient of 1.26 in Texas, a gap of 0.20 from Optometrists. BLS lists 322,710 jobs and a median of $36,840 per year, or $89,160 below Optometrists.
6. First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers has a location quotient of 1.25 in Texas, a gap of 0.19 from Optometrists. BLS lists 137,930 jobs and a median of $36,480 per year, or $89,520 below Optometrists.
7. Construction Laborers has a location quotient of 1.24 in Texas, a gap of 0.18 from Optometrists. BLS lists 123,250 jobs and a median of $40,620 per year, or $85,380 below Optometrists.
8. First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers has a location quotient of 1.24 in Texas, a gap of 0.18 from Optometrists. BLS lists 160,600 jobs and a median of $64,940 per year, or $61,060 below Optometrists.
Precise employer-title matches for Optometrists in Texas
Filtered through MeritLog's approved Texas place record and a strict employer-title rule. Listings are not classified by BLS and remain separate from BLS and BEA estimates.
