The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) latest occupational employment figures estimated that more than 38,700 optometrists were working in the United States as of May 2021.  At that time, an estimated 7,950 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 three states (Louisiana, Mississippi, and North Carolina) that ranked among the dozen best 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 2021 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	$120,380	29th
AR	270	$114,070	36th
FL	2,310	$107,200	44th
GA	940	$124,830	24th
KY	380	$124,650	25th
LA	250	$138,520	5th
MS	220	$133,570	11th
NC	1,010	$141,140	4th
SC	360	$101,050	48th
TN	430	$113,370	37th
VA	1,170	$123,340	26th
WV	140	$105,210	47th
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 June 11, 2022