Optometrists Salary
Optometrists in Syracuse, NY make a median of $153,790 a year, or about $73.94 an hour. The range runs from $101K at the entry level to $350K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.74), that's roughly $160,633 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,392/month, or 15.3% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $154K get you in Syracuse?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Syracuse’s Regional Price Parity (95.74). 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 Syracuse
Syracuse sits well above the national pay line for optometrists, local pay runs about 13% higher than the U.S. median of $137K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,392/month, 15.5% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 95.74) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Syracuse offers a genuinely strong financial position for optometristss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for optometrists in metros near Syracuse, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $161K | $143K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $166K | $173K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $164K | $165K |
| Rochester | $159K | $164K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Syracuse, NY
Entry-level optometrists (10th percentile) start around $101K. Mid-career wages sit at $154K. Top earners bring in $350K or more, a $249K 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 Syracuse numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a optometrist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Syracuse?
Yes — at the median salary of $154K, rent takes 15.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,392/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for optometrists in Syracuse?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new optometrists typically earn — is $101K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $6,056/month. At HUD’s $1,392/month FMR, rent would take 23% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is optometrist a high-paying job in Syracuse?
Local pay is 13% above the national median — $154K here vs. $137K nationally.
How does Syracuse compare to the national average for optometrists?
Syracuse pays $154K median vs. the U.S. average of $137K — that’s +13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.74), the purchasing-power equivalent is $161K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do optometrists make in Syracuse, NY?
The median is $153,790 a year, that works out to about $74 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $100,930, and experienced optometrists can clear $350,060. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $154K enough to live in Syracuse?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $8,974/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,392/month, which eats 15.5% 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 Syracuse?
Syracuse has a Regional Price Parity of 95.74 (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 $160,633 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.