Optometrists pay range in San Jose
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $134,370 a year or less, while the top 10% make $207,720 or more. The middle half of optometrists in San Jose earn between $134,370 and $169,150.
- $134K10th
- $134K25th
- $135KMedian
- $169K75th
- $208K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $156,180 | $13,015 | $75.09 |
| Median | $135,330 | $11,278 | $65.06 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $134,370 | $11,198 | $64.60 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $169,150 | $14,096 | $81.32 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Optometrists salary after taxes in San Jose
On the average salary of $156,180, a single filer in San Jose takes home about $107,582 a year, or $8,965 a month and $4,138 every two weeks. Taxes take 31% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is San Jose a good place for optometrists? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Jose area are 10% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 110.4), so the average $156,180 buys what about $141,438 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.6 times the median wage of all jobs in San Jose ($84,050). A typical home costs $1,610,466, or 10.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Optometrists salary in other California cities
San Jose ranks 3rd of 19 California metro areas for this job; Santa Rosa pays the most ($172,860).
- Santa Rosa$172,860
- Vallejo$167,000
- San Jose$156,180
- Sacramento$154,040
- Chico$152,250
- San Francisco$152,140
- Modesto$149,020
- Stockton$144,230
- San Diego$143,630
- Los Angeles$143,560
Highest-paying cities for optometrists
Roanoke, VA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($219,610).
- Roanoke, VA$219,610
- Wilmington, NC$204,680
- Trenton, NJ$186,160
- Fort Collins, CO$183,350
- Santa Rosa, CA$172,860
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Optometrists salary in San Jose: questions
How much do optometrists make an hour in San Jose?
$75.09 an hour on average, and $65.06 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level optometrists salary in San Jose?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $134,370 a year and the 25th percentile is $134,370, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the optometrists take-home pay in San Jose?
About $107,582 a year ($8,965 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $156,180. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do optometrists earn more in San Jose than elsewhere?
The average here is 9% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($143,182).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 29-1041; area San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (41940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.0%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.87, this job is 1.9 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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