SOC 29-1041 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Optometrists — Portland
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA · 3 metro areas compared
The median wage for Optometrists in Portland, OR is $136,250 per year, close to the national median of $136,570 for the same occupation.
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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA.
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 Portland, OR is $136,250 per year, close to the national median of $136,570 for the same occupation. Pay ranges from under $89,700 at the tenth percentile to more than $166,870 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $105,420 to $152,700.
The area has 350 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 0.3 of every thousand jobs. Salem leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $134,590. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 54th of 681 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $89,700 | −34.3% |
| 25th | $105,420 | −22.8% |
| Median (50th) | $136,250 | −0.2% |
| 75th | $152,700 | +11.8% |
| 90th | $166,870 | +22.2% |
| Mean | $132,980 | −2.6% |
Other metro areas in Oregon
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Portland run 5.4% above the national average, so the median of $136,250 buys what $129,269 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 5.3% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$136,250as reported by BLSLocal price level
105.4US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$129,269US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $136,250 a year, 0.2% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $89,700 to $166,870 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 350 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Salem, at $134,590.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Optometrists in Portland, OR?
The median annual wage is $136,250, or $65.51 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 Portland, OR is 0.2% lower. 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 Portland, OR earns more than $166,870 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $89,700 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 Salem, at $134,590 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 350 jobs in this occupation in Portland, OR. 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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