Optometrists Salary
Optometrists in San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX make a median of $111,780 a year, or about $53.74 an hour. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $158K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.72), which stretches that salary to about $118,011 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,426/month, or 19.1% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $112K get you in San Antonio-New Braunfels?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Antonio-New Braunfels’s Regional Price Parity (94.72). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in San Antonio-New Braunfels
Pay for optometrists in San Antonio-New Braunfels runs about 18% below the U.S. median of $137K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,426/month, 19.7% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.72 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, San Antonio-New Braunfels can be a reasonable trade-off for optometristss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for optometrists in metros near San Antonio-New Braunfels, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $125K | $126K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $141K | $137K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $130K | $133K |
| Corpus Christi | $138K | $149K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
Entry-level optometrists (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $112K. Top earners bring in $158K or more, a $113K 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 (all 50 states + DC)
Track optometrists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when San Antonio-New Braunfels numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a optometrist afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Antonio-New Braunfels?
Yes — at the median salary of $112K, rent takes 19.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,426/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for optometrists in San Antonio-New Braunfels?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new optometrists typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,711/month. At HUD’s $1,426/month FMR, rent would take 53% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is optometrist a high-paying job in San Antonio-New Braunfels?
Local pay runs 18% below the national median — $112K here vs. $137K nationally. Cost of living is 5% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does San Antonio-New Braunfels compare to the national average for optometrists?
San Antonio-New Braunfels pays $112K median vs. the U.S. average of $137K — that’s -18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.72), the purchasing-power equivalent is $118K — below the national median.
How much do optometrists make in San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX?
The median is $111,780 a year, that works out to about $54 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,190, and experienced optometrists can clear $158,020. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $112K enough to live in San Antonio-New Braunfels?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,252/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,426/month, which eats 19.7% 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 San Antonio-New Braunfels?
San Antonio-New Braunfels has a Regional Price Parity of 94.72 (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 $118,011 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.