Prevailing Wage for Optometrists
Prevailing wage for Optometrists, including roles filed under the titles Optometry Doctor (OD) and Therapeutic Optometrist, is set by DOL using four experience levels tied to regional labor market data. The floor for sponsored positions varies considerably by city, so the worksite location on your LCA determines which wage applies to your offer.
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Entry-level optometrists with limited post-graduate experience, typically within the first one to two years following completion of an OD program. Scope is generally supervised clinical practice with standard patient cases and no independent specialty caseload.
Qualified optometrists with moderate independent experience managing a routine patient panel. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Optometrists and typically covers those two to four years out of OD training, handling general optometric care without a narrow specialty designation.
Experienced optometrists with a developed specialty caseload, such as low vision, pediatric optometry, or ocular disease management. These practitioners operate with broad independence, may supervise support staff, and bring several years of post-residency clinical experience.
Fully competent optometrists in senior or lead roles, often practice directors, clinical supervisors, or multi-site leads. They hold broad autonomous authority over clinical protocols, staff training, and patient care standards across an employer's optometric operations.
Prevailing Wage for Optometrists by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Optometrists and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Watch for OD title aliasing at retail chains
Large optical retail employers sometimes list positions as generic 'eye doctor' or 'vision care provider' roles that get filed under a different SOC code, bypassing the Optometrists prevailing wage floor. Confirm your offer letter and LCA both reference SOC 29-1041 before signing.
Verify your worksite city before accepting
Optometrist prevailing wages vary sharply across metros, with top-paying cities commanding significantly higher L2 floors than low-paying metros like San Antonio or San Juan. If your employer operates multiple clinic locations, confirm the LCA lists the city where you will actually practice.
Exclude production bonuses from wage compliance math
Many optical retail and private-practice employers offer production-based bonuses tied to exam volume or optical sales. DOL requires the base wage to meet the prevailing wage floor; variable production pay does not count toward satisfying the LCA wage obligation for Optometrists.
Search Migrate Mate for employers with OD sponsorship history
Optical retail groups, integrated health systems, and private equity-backed optometry chains each have different H-1B sponsorship patterns. Migrate Mate shows which employers have actually sponsored Optometrists before, helping you target companies with an established filing track record.
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Find Jobs for OptometristsPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 29-1041.00 alongside Optometrists, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Optometry Doctor (OD) Prevailing Wage
Optometry Doctor (OD) Prevailing Wage
Optometry Doctor (OD) positions fall under SOC 29-1041.00 (Optometrists). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Therapeutic Optometrist Prevailing Wage
Therapeutic Optometrist Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Therapeutic Optometrist for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-1041.00 (Optometrists). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Optometrists?
DOL calculates prevailing wages for Optometrists using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. OFLC converts that data into four wage levels based on the occupation's SOC code (29-1041) and the worksite metropolitan area. Employers file the certified wage on the LCA before sponsoring an H-1B or PERM petition.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify mine?
The four levels reflect experience and scope: Level 1 is entry-level with limited post-OD experience, Level 2 covers qualified practitioners managing independent patient panels, Level 3 applies to experienced optometrists with specialty caseloads or supervisory duties, and Level 4 covers senior clinical or practice-lead roles. Review your job duties against these definitions and compare them to what your employer filed on the LCA to confirm the level matches your actual scope of practice.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same Optometrists role differ so much by city?
OFLC sets wages using regional OES survey data, so the floor reflects local labor market conditions in each metropolitan statistical area. A dense market like New Haven or Boulder commands a higher L1 floor than a lower-cost metro like San Antonio. Because the LCA must list the worksite where you will actually practice, the city on that form determines which regional wage floor applies, not your employer's headquarters location.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
DOL will not certify an LCA where the offered wage falls below the applicable prevailing wage level for Optometrists at that worksite. Without a certified LCA, USCIS cannot approve the H-1B petition. For PERM green card cases, OFLC similarly requires the offered wage to meet or exceed the prevailing wage. An employer must raise the offered salary to at least the prevailing wage floor before sponsorship can proceed.
How do I find and verify the Optometrists prevailing wage for a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up the current prevailing wage for SOC 29-1041 at the specific metro or county where you will work. Enter the occupation code and worksite area to see all four wage levels. You can also review employer LCA disclosure data through OFLC's public disclosure files to see what wage level a specific employer filed for Optometrists positions. Migrate Mate lists employers with documented OD sponsorship history so you can identify which companies are actively filing in your target market.
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