Optometrists pay range in Boston
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $95,780 a year or less, while the top 10% make $199,060 or more. The middle half of optometrists in Boston earn between $126,540 and $166,920.
- $96K10th
- $127K25th
- $155KMedian
- $167K75th
- $199K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $156,260 | $13,022 | $75.12 |
| Median | $154,970 | $12,914 | $74.50 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $126,540 | $10,545 | $60.84 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $166,920 | $13,910 | $80.25 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Optometrists salary after taxes in Boston
On the average salary of $156,260, a single filer in Boston takes home about $110,577 a year, or $9,215 a month and $4,253 every two weeks. Taxes take 29% of gross pay.
The Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in NH | $118,070 | $9,839 |
| Working in MA | $110,577 | $9,215 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums are not included.
Is Boston a good place for optometrists? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Boston area are 8% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 108.3), so the average $156,260 buys what about $144,330 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Boston ($66,620). A typical home costs $741,868, or 4.7 years of this average salary before tax.
Optometrists salary in other Massachusetts cities
Boston ranks 2nd of 5 Massachusetts metro areas for this job; Barnstable pays the most ($156,380).
- Barnstable$156,380
- Boston$156,260
- Worcester$147,800
- Amherst$143,250
- Springfield$140,490
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 Boston: questions
How much do optometrists make an hour in Boston?
$75.13 an hour on average, and $74.51 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level optometrists salary in Boston?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $95,780 a year and the 25th percentile is $126,540, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the optometrists take-home pay in Boston?
About $110,577 a year ($9,215 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $156,260. Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums are not included.
Do optometrists earn more in Boston 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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH (14460). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.6%.
- 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 (2026 rules). Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.96, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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