Optometrists Salary

Yes — at the median salary of $135K, rent takes 20.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,735/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.

The 10th-percentile wage — what new optometrists typically earn — is $74K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,457/month. At HUD’s $1,735/month FMR, rent would take 39% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.

Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $135K locally vs. $137K nationally, a 1% difference.

Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas pays $135K median vs. the U.S. average of $137K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.22), the purchasing-power equivalent is $135K — below the national median.

The median is $135,460 a year, that works out to about $65 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $74,290, and experienced optometrists can clear $176,740. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $8,612/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,735/month, which eats 20.1% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.

Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas has a Regional Price Parity of 100.22 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median optometrists salary is worth about $135,163 in national-average purchasing power.

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.