Optometrists pay range in Reading
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $86,780 a year or less, while the top 10% make $188,590 or more. The middle half of optometrists in Reading earn between $126,850 and $162,980.
- $87K10th
- $127K25th
- $139KMedian
- $163K75th
- $189K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $141,700 | $11,808 | $68.12 |
| Median | $139,400 | $11,617 | $67.02 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $126,850 | $10,571 | $60.99 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $162,980 | $13,582 | $78.36 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Optometrists salary after taxes in Reading
On the average salary of $141,700, a single filer in Reading takes home about $103,768 a year, or $8,647 a month and $3,991 every two weeks. Taxes take 27% of gross 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.
Is Reading a good place for optometrists? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Reading area are 3% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.1), so the average $141,700 buys what about $145,992 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Reading ($49,440). A typical home costs $312,348, or 2.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Optometrists salary in other Pennsylvania cities
Reading ranks 4th 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 Reading: questions
How much do optometrists make an hour in Reading?
$68.12 an hour on average, and $67.02 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level optometrists salary in Reading?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $86,780 a year and the 25th percentile is $126,850, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the optometrists take-home pay in Reading?
About $103,768 a year ($8,647 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $141,700. Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
Do optometrists earn more in Reading 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 Reading, PA (39740). 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). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.78, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.78).
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