The most recent occupational employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that over 38,700 optometrists were employed in the United States as of May 2021.  At that time, about 5,200 optometrists were employed in the Mid-Eastern U.S., a region that includes five states and the District of Columbia. BLS data shows the region to be a generally strong one for optometrist pay.  Although Delaware ranked among the weakest states in the nation for optometrist annual mean wages, the other four states in the region rated among the fifteen best states in the nation on that pay metric for optometrists. A deeper dive into BLS data from May 2021 reveals the following details about optometrist pay in the Mid-Eastern U.S.:

Optometrist Pay in the Mid-Eastern U.S.

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
DC	80	-------	NR
DE	110	$106,090	45th
MD	630	$144,570	2nd
NJ	660	$132,930	12th
NY	1,620	$137,860	7th
PA	2,090	$131,860	13th
U.S.	38,720	$125,440	-------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on May 14, 2022