SOC 29-1041 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Optometrists — La Crosse
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN · 5 metro areas compared
The median wage for Optometrists in La Crosse, WI is $175,810 per year, well above the national median of $136,570.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +8.0%
- Openings per year
- 2,400
- Typical entry-level education
- Doctoral or professional degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
11.5% of people in this occupation work for themselves.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
The median wage for Optometrists in La Crosse, WI is $175,810 per year, well above the national median of $136,570. The gap of 28.7% is among the widest recorded for this occupation. Pay ranges from under $110,530 at the tenth percentile to more than $224,140 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $131,040 to $196,980.
Employment stands at 40, or 0.5 jobs per thousand held locally. Appleton leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $150,060. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 7th of 311 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $110,530 | −19.1% |
| 25th | $131,040 | −4.0% |
| Median (50th) | $175,810 | +28.7% |
| 75th | $196,980 | +44.2% |
| 90th | $224,140 | +64.1% |
| Mean | $168,910 | +23.7% |
Other metro areas in Wisconsin
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in La Crosse run 8.2% below the national average, so the median of $175,810 goes as far as $191,514 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 40.2% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$175,810as reported by BLSLocal price level
91.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$191,514US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $175,810 a year, 28.7% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $110,530 to $224,140 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 40 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Appleton, at $150,060.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Optometrists in La Crosse, WI?
The median annual wage is $175,810, or $84.52 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $136,570, so pay in La Crosse, WI is 28.7% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in La Crosse, WI earns more than $224,140 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $110,530 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Appleton, at $150,060 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 40 jobs in this occupation in La Crosse, WI. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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