Optometrists pay range in Philadelphia
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $91,580 a year or less, while the top 10% make $195,650 or more. The middle half of optometrists in Philadelphia earn between $122,980 and $170,860.
- $92K10th
- $123K25th
- $154KMedian
- $171K75th
- $196K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $148,970 | $12,414 | $71.62 |
| Median | $153,980 | $12,832 | $74.03 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $122,980 | $10,248 | $59.12 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $170,860 | $14,238 | $82.14 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Optometrists salary after taxes in Philadelphia
On the average salary of $148,970, a single filer in Philadelphia takes home about $108,514 a year, or $9,043 a month and $4,174 every two weeks. Taxes take 27% of gross pay.
The Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in PA | $108,514 | $9,043 |
| Working in MD | $106,057 | $8,838 |
| Working in NJ | $105,788 | $8,816 |
| Working in DE | $104,486 | $8,707 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
Is Philadelphia a good place for optometrists? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Philadelphia area are 3% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 102.6), so the average $148,970 buys what about $145,260 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Philadelphia ($54,310). A typical home costs $390,463, or 2.6 years of this average salary before tax.
Optometrists salary in other Pennsylvania cities
Philadelphia ranks 2nd of 9 Pennsylvania metro areas for this job; Erie pays the most ($164,590).
- Erie$164,590
- Philadelphia$148,970
- Allentown$143,610
- Reading$141,700
- Scranton$137,720
- Harrisburg$137,230
- York$135,580
- Lancaster$135,250
- Pittsburgh$132,850
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 Philadelphia: questions
How much do optometrists make an hour in Philadelphia?
$71.62 an hour on average, and $74.03 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level optometrists salary in Philadelphia?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $91,580 a year and the 25th percentile is $122,980, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the optometrists take-home pay in Philadelphia?
About $108,514 a year ($9,043 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $148,970. Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
Do optometrists earn more in Philadelphia than elsewhere?
The average here is 4% 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD (37980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.8%.
- 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). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.11, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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