SOC 29-1041 · McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro

Optometrists Salary in McAllen, TX

The average salary for optometrists in McAllen, Texas is $118,870 a year ($57.15 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $130,450: half of the 50 people in this job in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 17% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($143,182).

$118,870average per year

$57.15 / hourMedian $130,450Take-home ≈ $92,455

  • $39K10th
  • $101K25th
  • $130KMedian
  • $135K75th
  • $174K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

50people in this job
-17%vs U.S. metro average
#11 of 14Texas metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Optometrists pay range in McAllen

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $39,080 a year or less, while the top 10% make $174,100 or more. The middle half of optometrists in McAllen earn between $100,700 and $135,460.

  • $39K10th
  • $101K25th
  • $130KMedian
  • $135K75th
  • $174K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$118,870$9,906$57.15
Median$130,450$10,871$62.72
Entry level (25th percentile)$100,700$8,392$48.41
Experienced (75th percentile)$135,460$11,288$65.12

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Optometrists salary after taxes in McAllen

On the average salary of $118,870, a single filer in McAllen takes home about $92,455 a year, or $7,705 a month and $3,556 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

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Is McAllen a good place for optometrists? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the McAllen area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 85.9), so the average $118,870 buys what about $138,390 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 3.6 times the median wage of all jobs in McAllen ($35,830). A typical home costs $193,978, or 1.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $118,870 is worth in another city

Optometrists salary in other Texas cities

McAllen ranks 11th of 14 Texas metro areas for this job; Killeen pays the most ($168,490).

All Optometrists salaries in Texas

Highest-paying cities for optometrists

Roanoke, VA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($219,610).

Optometrists salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Optometrists in McAllen, TX.

Optometrists salary in McAllen: questions

How much do optometrists make an hour in McAllen?

$57.15 an hour on average, and $62.72 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level optometrists salary in McAllen?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $39,080 a year and the 25th percentile is $100,700, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the optometrists take-home pay in McAllen?

About $92,455 a year ($7,705 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $118,870. Texas has no state income tax.

Do optometrists earn more in McAllen than elsewhere?

The average here is 17% less 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 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX (32580). 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 no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.66, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.66).

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