Tool · free, no account
Where is it easiest to open: Offices of Optometrists
51 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 29-1041” (soc) for Optometrists. A blank gate means NO RECORD MATCHED, which is not the same as no licence.
| State | Operators | Avg staff | Pay / employee | Gate | Licence titles matched |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA | 2,741 | 6.5 | $42,144 | licence | Optometry License |
| TX | 2,024 | 6.7 | $49,799 | licence | OPTOMETRIST |
| FL | 1,527 | 5.6 | $50,770 | exam | Optometrist |
| NY | 912 | 5.5 | $49,086 | exam | Optometrist |
| OH | 846 | 6.2 | $46,086 | licence | Optometrist |
| IL | 818 | 6.5 | $50,923 | exam | LICENSED OPTOMETRIST |
| PA | 792 | 6.4 | $48,792 | exam | Optometrist |
| GA | 629 | 5.9 | $50,749 | exam | Optometrist |
| NJ | 617 | 5.3 | $47,195 | exam | OPTOMETRIST |
| NC | 614 | 8.4 | $52,271 | exam | Intern Permit; Optometrist |
| IN | 606 | 6.6 | $49,991 | exam | Optometric Legend Drug Certificate; Optometrist |
| MI | 535 | 7.7 | $49,765 | exam | Optometrist |
| WA | 530 | 7.3 | $49,670 | exam | Optometrist |
| VA | 479 | 7.7 | $58,449 | exam | Optometrist |
| CO | 464 | 7.0 | $54,571 | exam | Optometrist |
| AZ | 462 | 5.4 | $55,017 | licence | Optometrist |
| TN | 408 | 6.7 | $48,670 | exam | OPTOMETRIST |
| MA | 377 | 5.5 | $59,184 | exam | OPTOMETRIST |
| MO | 370 | 7.3 | $47,523 | exam | Optometrist |
| AL | 328 | 6.3 | $48,663 | licence | Doctor of Optometry |
| WI | 327 | 7.2 | $52,424 | exam | OPTOMETRIST |
| OK | 322 | 6.6 | $41,742 | exam | Optometrist |
| MN | 318 | 7.0 | $58,361 | licence | Optometrist |
| NV | 300 | 5.8 | $53,660 | not matched | — |
| MD | 288 | 8.0 | $56,933 | licence | OPTOMETRISTS |
| SC | 267 | 6.5 | $44,983 | licence | Optometrists |
| OR | 265 | 6.3 | $48,732 | licence | Optometrist |
| KS | 240 | 8.1 | $46,145 | licence | Optometrist |
| CT | 239 | 6.8 | $52,957 | exam | Optometrist |
| IA | 239 | 6.0 | $46,101 | exam | Optometrist |
| KY | 215 | 7.1 | $47,834 | exam | Optometrist |
| LA | 212 | 6.1 | $42,498 | exam | Optometrist |
| AR | 210 | 6.4 | $44,493 | exam | Optometrist |
| UT | 204 | 5.9 | $38,105 | licence | OPTOMETRIST |
| ID | 160 | 7.0 | $45,111 | exam | Optometrists |
| NE | 152 | 6.7 | $51,041 | licence | Optometrist |
| MS | 148 | 7.2 | $41,082 | exam | Optometrist |
| ME | 105 | 8.9 | $54,940 | exam | Optometrist |
| HI | 98 | 5.2 | $47,973 | exam | Optometrist |
| WV | 85 | 8.4 | $47,636 | not matched | — |
| SD | 83 | 8.1 | $50,346 | licence | Optometrist |
| NH | 82 | 8.0 | $65,508 | exam | Optometrist |
| NM | 73 | 7.5 | $47,649 | licence | Optometrists |
| RI | 72 | 8.2 | $59,345 | exam | Optometrist |
| MT | 69 | 7.6 | $48,176 | exam | Optometry - Optometrist |
| WY | 52 | 8.0 | $48,502 | exam | OPTOMETRIST |
| AK | 52 | 7.0 | $68,942 | licence | Optometrist |
| DE | 51 | 10.4 | $57,203 | exam | Intern Optometrist, Therapeutic; Optometrist, Therapeutic |
| ND | 46 | 8.4 | $53,170 | exam | Optometrists |
| VT | 40 | 7.1 | $56,863 | exam | Optometrist |
| DC | 24 | 7.4 | $66,763 | exam | OPTOMETRY |
Axes are shown side by side and deliberately NOT collapsed into a ranking. A composite would be a score with no measured interval, and an unmeasured score is the thing this product exists to argue against. A high licence gate is a cost to enter and a moat once cleared — which of those matters more is the operator's call, not ours.
Licence data courtesy of CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. Free to read, no account, always — a condition of the data licence as well as our own position.