From Our Editors

Are ODs Financially Ahead? State Salary Findings for 2026

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A snapshot of how optometry salaries compare to the standards of middle-class incomes by state

By Vittorio Mena, OD, MS

May 26, 2026

As we near the halfway point of 2026, I’m looking at how optometrists across the United States are doing compared to the average American. Mental health has been a hot topic in the medical profession with stress due to hours worked, number of patients seen, charting, dealing with insurances, prior authorizations or handling staff issues. This brief overlook at our country’s income by state takes a closer look at if it is worth it economically to be in our profession.

AFTER GRADUATION

After graduating optometry school, new graduates have a few options. They often move back home where they grew up or relocate to a new state, sometimes because of their spouse. Or, they may be incentivized by a starting salary to a rural location they have never been to before and live there for a few years.

In 2025, WalletHub analyzed the 50 states and identified which are the “best” states to live in due to factors such as “education and health, housing costs/affordability, income potential, job availabilities, safety and quality of life.”¹

This list considers the “best” states to live as Massachusetts, Idaho, New Jersey, Wisconsin and Minnesota.

The top five “worst” states to live in were New Mexico, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alaska.

UPPER-MIDDLE CLASS INCOMES

Another consideration is the income needed to be considered upper-middle class. According to the U.S. Census Data and GoBankingRates, the “average across the country ranged from $92,000 to $163,000 with nine states requiring at least $150,000 to be listed in that category,”² depending on which state you lived in.

Coincidentally, taking the crown for yearly salary to be considered upper-middle class is Massachusetts at $163,100. This state was also ranked number one to live in.

The next states with the highest amounts were New Jersey, Maryland, Hawaii and California.

Mississippi needed $92,000 to be considered upper-middle class, which is the least in the entire country.

The next three were West Virginia, Louisiana and Arkansas. These states, along with Mississippi, ranged between $92,000 and $97,000 to be listed in that category.

WHERE OPTOMETRY FITS IN

A recent survey published by ODsonFinance showed that “the median annual salary was $166,000 based on 1,972 optometrist respondents across the country and the ones who made the most were those who practiced greater than 25 years in the profession.”³

According to that survey, the five states where optometrists made the most in annual salary included South Dakota (sample size=8), New Mexico, Louisiana, Idaho and Washington, D.C.

South Dakota tops the list with $256,500. Each of these five states brought in more than $198,000 per year.

The five states with the lowest annual salary were Mississippi (sample size=8) with $121,500 then a 4-way tie with Colorado, Massachusetts (sample size=46), Maine and Missouri with $150,000.

IN A GOOD FINANCIAL PLACE

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics, there are approximately 47,800 optometrists practicing in the United States.”⁴ Though this survey includes only about a 4.12% of optometrists (1,972/47,800) across the country, it gives us a snapshot on how we are doing as a profession.

Missouri optometrists earn $29,500 above what the state considers upper-middle class.

The state of Massachusetts was just $13,100 shy of reaching the upper-middle class category based on optometry salary.

Based on this analysis, optometry is in a good spot financially. Based on salary alone, many optometrists fall into the upper-middle class category.

Of course, we need to look at the factors such as housing costs and which state you would want to live in, too, alongside the total made in salary, bonuses and paid time off. All of these factors contribute to where you stand in your overall financial health. Yet for optometry, the potential is great!

References

Read another column by Dr. Mena here.

Vittorio Mena, OD, MS, is the sports vision director with Optical Academy. Dr. Mena is also an optometric financial coach/fiduciary with Series 6 and 63 investment licenses and Series 2-14 life and variable annuity licenses. To contact him: menavitt@gmail.com