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Optometrist salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for an optometrist is $96,200 per annum, before tax, up $19,900 since 2018.
Pay depends heavily on the setting. Corporate optical chains often pay a base salary plus a bonus tied to practice performance or product sales, while independent practices and hospital or community health roles usually pay a straight salary. Endorsement for scheduled medicines, locum work and rural or remote postings can all lift earnings, and owning or taking a partnership in a practice is where the ceiling sits.
How to negotiate a higher optometrist salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time optometrist salary is $96,200; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Clinical assessment and treatment and Patient care and support tend to command a premium over general optometrist experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Optometrist salary questions
How much do optometrists earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an optometrist is $96,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is optometrist pay rising or falling?
The median optometrist salary is up $19,900 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.