The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) latest occupational employment figures estimated that more than 40,800 optometrists were working in the United States as of May 2024.  At that time, an estimated 8,680 optometrists were employed in the twelve-state Southeastern U.S region. BLS data shows the region to be a relatively poor one for optometrist pay.  Although having two states (Kentucky and North Carolina) that ranked among the top ten states in the country for optometrist annual mean wages, nine of twelve Southeastern states were below the national average for that optometrist pay metric.  Moreover, those nine states were home to over 80% of the region's employed optometrists.  A closer look into BLS data from May 2024 details the following about optometrist pay in the Southeastern U.S.:

Optometrist Pay in the Southeastern U.S.

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AL	470	$125,860	39th
AR	350	$124,990	41st
FL	2,280	$132,350	32nd
GA	860	$132,250	33rd
KY	500	$154,120	9th
LA	230	$127,470	37th
MS	250	$127,920	36th
NC	1,400	$159,420	3rd
SC	480	$123,900	42th
TN	590	$125,970	38th
VA	1,120	N/A	N/A
WV	150	$136,210	25th
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 October 23, 2025