Optometrist
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Optometrist occupation series (code 0662): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
With 1,456 employees (0.1% of the federal civilian workforce), Optometrist ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family. Its average salary of $159,722 pays well above the federal average.
- Headcount change
- 0.0%
- Pay change
- +2.2%
- Avg tenure
- 11.2 yrs
- Rank in family
- #26 of 45
FedScope read on Optometrist (dense series)
On pay, the move between reporting periods was a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce. On length of service, this series shows a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Headcount moved sideways versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
Code 06, the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family, is where the federal government classifies Optometrist alongside 44 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Optometrist postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family. Across the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family, 339,162 employees work in 45 occupations; Optometrist is 0.4% of that headcount. Its average salary ranks in the top half (87th percentile) of pay among Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group occupations.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Optometrist pay compares to the federal average
Occupation Average
$159,722
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+36.1%
Where Optometrist ranks on rich federal pay
Optometrist earns more on average than 94% of federal occupation series (508 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Optometrist sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; the highlighted bar marks Optometrist.
Related Occupations in Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse | 106,218 | $132,267 | 10.2 yrs |
| Medical Support Assistance | 39,856 | $58,279 | 8.2 yrs |
| Medical Officer | 34,687 | $301,569 | 11.6 yrs |
| General Health Science | 17,434 | $133,765 | 11.9 yrs |
| Practical Nurse | 16,755 | $75,898 | 10.4 yrs |
| Pharmacist | 14,529 | $167,390 | 11.1 yrs |
| Nursing Assistant | 14,498 | $55,851 | 7.8 yrs |
| Health Aid and Technician | 12,490 | $61,276 | 10.8 yrs |
| Health System Specialist | 7,966 | $110,534 | 15.9 yrs |
| Pharmacy Technician | 7,658 | $70,794 | 9.5 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Optometrist outside the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar dense headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (1,456 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($159,722 here).
Key takeaways
- Place Optometrist pay in context with the pay-rank chart above, then compare it with another occupation.
- Turn an average salary into a grade: the GS pay grade tables show how grades and steps map to pay.
- Browse the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family occupations in the table above, or search current Optometrist postings on USAJOBS.
OPM FedScope and Federal Workforce Data figures are federal civilian headcounts, average salaries, and length-of-service statistics - not job-quality scores, hiring advice, or a live vacancy listing. A larger or higher-paid agency is not a better employer.