The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) most recent occupational employment data reported over 40,000 optometrists at work in the U.S. as of May 2024. At that time, 920 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. Colorado’s 2024 optometrist employment and wage data were not available due to an issue in BLS reporting. A deeper examination of BLS data from May 2024 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	N/A	N/A	N/A
ID	270	$88,350	49th
MT	150	$114,630	47th
UT	90	$120,880	45th
WY	410	$140,770	21st
U.S.	40,900	$137,190	-------

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

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on January 2, 2026