The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) most recent occupational employment data reported over 38,700 optometrists at work in the U.S. as of May 2021.  At that time, 1,600 optometrists were at work in the five-state Rocky Mountain region. BLS data shows the region to be a weak one for optometrist pay, with only one state in the region recording an annual mean wage level for optometrists that topped the national average.  Moreover, three Rocky Mountain states rated in the bottom third of all states in the nation for that pay metric, including two that ranked among the ten worst in the nation for optometrist annual mean wage levels. A deeper examination of BLS data from May 2021 details the following about optometrist pay in the Rocky Mountain region:

Optometrist Pay in the Rocky Mountain Region

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
CO	780	$125,040	22nd
ID	190	$85,200	49th
MT	200	$113,290	38th
UT	350	$105,510	46th
WY	80	$129,620	17th
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 28, 2022