Optometrist: salary in the UK
ONS occupation: Optometrists (SOC 2252)
Pay range
The dark part is the middle half of full-time employees (25% to 75%); the light bar runs from 10% to 90%. ONS doesn't publish the highest or lowest salary, and x means a figure wasn't published.
Pay by year
The median went from £42,476 in 2021 to £50,690 in 2025 (+19%); for all full-time employees in the UK it changed by +25% over the same years.
Figures by year
| P10 | P25 | Median | P75 | P90 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | x | x | £42,476 | x | x |
| 2022 | x | x | x | x | x |
| 2023 | x | x | £44,968 | x | x |
| 2024 | x | x | £44,749 | x | x |
| 2025 | x | x | £50,690 | x | x |
| 2026 | x | x | x | x | x |
ONS figures for each year, not adjusted for inflation. Years before 2021 used a different occupation classification, so they can't be compared. Earlier years are ONS's revised figures; the latest is provisional.
ONS didn't publish salary figures for Optometrists in 2026: too few full-time employees were in the survey sample for a reliable estimate. This is common for jobs where many people are self-employed, because the survey only covers employees.
The wider group Other Health Professionals (SOC 225) has a median of £48,854 a year.
ONS did publish a mean of £66,456, which is less reliable than a median would be.
Percentiles
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th (P10) | x | x |
| 20th | x | x |
| 25th (P25) | x | x |
| 30th | £47,950 | £3,996 |
| 40th | £50,000 | £4,167 |
| Median (50th) | x | x |
| 60th | x | x |
| 70th | x | x |
| 75th (P75) | x | x |
| 80th | x | x |
| 90th (P90) | x | x |
Job titles in this occupation
ONS codes these 6 job titles to SOC 2252 Optometrists. Pay figures are for the whole occupation, not for each title.
- Consultant ophthalmologist
- Doctor of optometry
- Ophthalmic optician
- Ophthalmologist
- Optician
- Optometrist
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Source: ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2026 provisional, Table 14.7a (full-time employees, gross annual pay, UK, tax year ending 5 April 2026). Provisional figures may be revised.