Optometrists Salary
Optometrists in Mississippi make a median of $108,070 a year, or about $51.96 an hour. The range runs from $63K at the entry level to $216K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.9), which stretches that salary to about $121,564 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,077/month, or 15.8% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Mississippi. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $108K actually covers in Mississippi, month by month
About optometrists
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What this looks like in Mississippi
Pay for optometrists in Mississippi runs about 21% below the U.S. median of $137K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,077/month, 16.3% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.9 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Mississippi can be a reasonable trade-off for optometrists who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Mississippi
Entry-level optometrists (10th percentile) start around $63K. Mid-career wages sit at $108K. Top earners bring in $216K or more, a $152K spread from bottom to top.
Optometrists salary by metro in Mississippi
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson | $123K | +14% | 60 |
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Mississippi 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 Mississippi?
Yes — at the median salary of $108K, rent takes 16.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,077/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for optometrists in Mississippi?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new optometrists typically earn — is $63K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,171/month. At HUD’s $1,077/month FMR, rent would take 26% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is optometrist a high-paying job in Mississippi?
Local pay runs 21% below the national median — $108K here vs. $137K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Mississippi compare to the national average for optometrists?
Mississippi pays $108K median vs. the U.S. average of $137K — that’s -21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $122K — below the national median.
How much do optometrists make in Mississippi?
The median is $108,070 a year, that works out to about $52 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $63,470, and experienced optometrists can clear $215,640. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $108K enough to live in Mississippi?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,611/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,077/month, which eats 16.3% 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 Mississippi?
Mississippi has a Regional Price Parity of 88.9 (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 $121,564 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.