Optometrists Salary
Optometrists in Asheville, NC make a median of $167,980 a year, or about $80.76 an hour. The range runs from $95K at the entry level to $207K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.51), that's roughly $174,055 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,567/month, or 15.1% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $168K get you in Asheville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Asheville’s Regional Price Parity (96.51). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About optometrists
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What this looks like in Asheville
Asheville sits well above the national pay line for optometrists, local pay runs about 23% higher than the U.S. median of $137K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,567/month, 15.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 96.51) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Asheville offers a genuinely strong financial position for optometristss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for optometrists in metros near Asheville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $157K | $161K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $163K | $166K |
| Wilmington | $164K | $170K |
| Winston-Salem | $163K | $177K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Asheville, NC
Entry-level optometrists (10th percentile) start around $95K. Mid-career wages sit at $168K. Top earners bring in $207K or more, a $112K spread from bottom to top.
Optometrists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Optometrists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $170K | +25% | 60 |
| Maryland | $166K | +21% | 780 |
| North Carolina | $162K | +18% | 1,140 |
| Delaware | $161K | +18% | 190 |
| New York | $161K | +18% | 2,390 |
| New Jersey | $159K | +16% | 1,380 |
| Minnesota | $159K | +16% | 710 |
| Washington | $158K | +15% | 760 |
| Hawaii | $155K | +13% | 230 |
| Maine | $154K | +13% | 180 |
| Colorado | $152K | +11% | 880 |
| Massachusetts | $152K | +11% | 950 |
| Florida | $152K | +11% | 2,350 |
| Connecticut | $150K | +10% | 490 |
| South Carolina | $146K | +7% | 480 |
| Illinois | $146K | +7% | 1,540 |
| Alabama | $145K | +6% | 460 |
| New Mexico | $145K | +6% | 130 |
| Wisconsin | $140K | +2% | 790 |
| Kansas | $139K | +1% | 660 |
| Vermont | $137K | +1% | 90 |
| California | $136K | -0% | 6,890 |
| Michigan | $136K | -1% | 1,410 |
| Nevada | $136K | -1% | 430 |
| Indiana | $136K | -1% | 1,040 |
| Pennsylvania | $135K | -1% | 1,720 |
| Ohio | $135K | -1% | 1,300 |
| District of Columbia | $135K | -1% | 50 |
| Rhode Island | $135K | -2% | 250 |
| Tennessee | $134K | -2% | 660 |
| Missouri | $134K | -2% | 630 |
| North Dakota | $132K | -3% | 140 |
| Oregon | $132K | -3% | 560 |
| Virginia | $132K | -4% | 1,110 |
| Kentucky | $129K | -6% | 430 |
| Georgia | $129K | -6% | 870 |
| Texas | $126K | -8% | 4,110 |
| New Hampshire | $126K | -8% | 210 |
| Iowa | $125K | -8% | 450 |
| Nebraska | $125K | -8% | 340 |
| Arkansas | $124K | -9% | 320 |
| Arizona | $122K | -10% | 1,080 |
| Utah | $119K | -13% | 380 |
| Louisiana | $118K | -14% | 250 |
| West Virginia | $118K | -14% | 150 |
| Wyoming | $111K | -18% | 90 |
| Mississippi | $108K | -21% | 240 |
| Montana | $104K | -24% | 140 |
| Idaho | $103K | -24% | 160 |
| South Dakota | $102K | -25% | 190 |
| Oklahoma | $97K | -29% | 570 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 states
Track optometrists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Asheville numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a optometrist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Asheville?
Yes — at the median salary of $168K, rent takes 15.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,567/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for optometrists in Asheville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new optometrists typically earn — is $95K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,713/month. At HUD’s $1,567/month FMR, rent would take 27% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is optometrist a high-paying job in Asheville?
Local pay is 23% above the national median — $168K here vs. $137K nationally.
How does Asheville compare to the national average for optometrists?
Asheville pays $168K median vs. the U.S. average of $137K — that’s +23%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.51), the purchasing-power equivalent is $174K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do optometrists make in Asheville, NC?
The median is $167,980 a year, that works out to about $81 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $95,220, and experienced optometrists can clear $207,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $168K enough to live in Asheville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $9,834/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,567/month, which eats 15.9% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a optometrists salary go in Asheville?
Asheville has a Regional Price Parity of 96.51 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median optometrists salary is worth about $174,055 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do optometrists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.