PublicPay

Optometrist federal salary series 0662

Full-time federal employees in the Optometrist series earned a median of $171,939 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 57% above the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $148,046 and $193,814.

Median pay
$171,939
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$148,046–$193,814
25th–75th percentile
Employees
1,502
in this series, all schedules
Change in median
+10.5%
vs. September 2025
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026
Optometrist
All federal (full-time)

What shapes optometrist pay

The most common grade with published pay is VM-15 (970 employees, median $180,312). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of Veterans Affairs (1,331 employees). Among states with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay, the median is highest in North Carolina ($197,204) and lowest in Tennessee ($154,144), a gap that partly reflects locality pay differences. Federal pay depends mostly on grade and step, plus a locality adjustment for where the job is located; see the GS pay scale explainer.

Optometrist pay by grade

Grades with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay. GS grades are listed first; other pay plans follow.

Optometrist pay by grade
Pay plan–grade Employees Median pay Middle 50%
GS-12 118 $171,586 $166,819–$181,119
AD (ungraded) 201 $47,487 $45,590–$51,635
VM-15 970 $180,312 $161,000–$196,780

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Optometrist pay by agency

Optometrist pay by agency
Agency Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Department of Veterans Affairs 1,331 $171,939 $147,421–$194,000
Department of Health and Human Services 67 $171,586 $162,052–$185,885

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Optometrist pay by state

The 10 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.

Optometrist pay by state
State Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Florida 116 $172,283 $152,610–$189,088
California 110 $157,770 $56,994–$196,738
Ohio 92 $183,052 $160,000–$215,111
Texas 80 $171,144 $150,080–$188,218
New York 73 $162,761 $138,500–$194,000
North Carolina 65 $197,204 $165,000–$219,716
Pennsylvania 51 $167,216 $148,393–$187,186
Michigan 46 $172,517 $149,986–$191,244
Arizona 46 $172,057 $156,844–$185,185
Massachusetts 42 $171,182 $51,635–$195,945

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Compare optometrist pay across all states and agencies →

Change since September 2025

The median moved +10.5% from $155,565 in September 2025 to $171,939 in September 2026. Headcount went from 1,484 to 1,502 (+1.2%). A change in the median reflects both pay adjustments and who joined or left the workforce, so it is not the same as a pay raise.

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