Optometrists Salary
Optometrists in Illinois make a median of $145,620 a year, or about $70.01 an hour. The range runs from $93K at the entry level to $191K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $155,162 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,407/month, or 15.9% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $146K actually covers in Illinois, month by month
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What this looks like in Illinois
Optometrists pay in Illinois tracks closely to the national median, $146K locally vs. $137K nationwide, a 7% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,407/month, 16.4% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level optometrists (10th percentile) start around $93K. Mid-career wages sit at $146K. Top earners bring in $191K or more, a $97K spread from bottom to top.
Optometrists salary by metro in Illinois
3 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peoria | $167K | +14% | 50 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $146K | +0% | 1,160 |
| Bloomington | $133K | -9% | 40 |
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a optometrist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
Yes — at the median salary of $146K, rent takes 16.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for optometrists in Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new optometrists typically earn — is $93K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,786/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 24% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is optometrist a high-paying job in Illinois?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $146K locally vs. $137K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for optometrists?
Illinois pays $146K median vs. the U.S. average of $137K — that’s +7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $155K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do optometrists make in Illinois?
The median is $145,620 a year, that works out to about $70 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $93,350, and experienced optometrists can clear $190,620. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $146K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $8,590/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 16.4% 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 Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (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 $155,162 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.