Optometrists pay range in Rochester
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $99,030 a year or less, while the top 10% make $187,690 or more. The middle half of optometrists in Rochester earn between $126,580 and $167,840.
- $99K10th
- $127K25th
- $159KMedian
- $168K75th
- $188K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $145,460 | $12,122 | $69.93 |
| Median | $159,380 | $13,282 | $76.62 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $126,580 | $10,548 | $60.86 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $167,840 | $13,987 | $80.69 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Optometrists salary after taxes in Rochester
On the average salary of $145,460, a single filer in Rochester takes home about $103,009 a year, or $8,584 a month and $3,962 every two weeks. Taxes take 29% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.
Is Rochester a good place for optometrists? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Rochester area are 3% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.0), so the average $145,460 buys what about $149,905 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 3.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Rochester ($51,210). A typical home costs $285,034, or 2.0 years of this average salary before tax.
Optometrists salary in other New York cities
Rochester ranks 6th of 6 New York metro areas for this job; Syracuse pays the most ($170,410).
- Syracuse$170,410
- New York$157,350
- Kiryas Joel$157,230
- Buffalo$149,220
- Albany$146,400
- Rochester$145,460
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 Rochester: questions
How much do optometrists make an hour in Rochester?
$69.93 an hour on average, and $76.62 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level optometrists salary in Rochester?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $99,030 a year and the 25th percentile is $126,580, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the optometrists take-home pay in Rochester?
About $103,009 a year ($8,584 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $145,460. New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.
Do optometrists earn more in Rochester than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as 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 Rochester, NY (40380). 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 (2025 rules). New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.90, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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