Data current as of August 2026 · sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET
Average base salary, Michigan
$103,000 / year
≈ $8,600 per month · $49.52 per hour
BLS May 2025 state data for Michigan · median $95,500
25th percentile
$84,000Average
$103,00075th percentile
$116,500
$84,000Average
$103,00075th percentile
$116,500
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (occupation group), with detailed role definition from O*NET, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Orthoptist salary by state
Alaska$126,000
Arizona$103,000
Arkansas$94,500
California$145,000
Colorado$109,000
Connecticut$134,500
District of Columbia$158,000
Florida$108,500
Georgia$134,000
Hawaii$118,000
Illinois$118,000
Indiana$106,000
Iowa$110,500
Kansas$99,500
Kentucky$98,000
Maine$171,500
Maryland$166,500
Massachusetts$114,500
Michigan$103,000
Minnesota$118,000
Missouri$128,500
Montana$155,000
Nebraska$125,500
Nevada$98,000
New Hampshire$102,000
New Jersey$119,000
New Mexico$100,000
New York$145,000
North Carolina$143,500
North Dakota$101,000
Ohio$119,500
Oregon$109,500
Pennsylvania$111,000
Rhode Island$90,000
South Dakota$97,500
Tennessee$113,500
Texas$133,500
Utah$174,000
Vermont$97,000
Virginia$125,000
Washington$110,500
Wisconsin$118,000
Wyoming$106,500
About this role
Orthoptist is a professional role within the function in the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical job family.
Pay for this title reflects both its level and its scope; see our Title Level and Organization Responsibility guides for how WePayFairly defines them.
What Orthoptists do
Typical education: Doctoral Degree
- Examine patients with problems related to ocular motility, binocular vision, amblyopia, or strabismus.
- Evaluate, diagnose, or treat disorders of the visual system with an emphasis on binocular vision or abnormal eye movements.
- Provide instructions to patients or family members concerning diagnoses or treatment plans.
- Perform diagnostic tests or measurements, such as motor testing, visual acuity testing, lensometry, retinoscopy, and color vision testing.
- Provide nonsurgical interventions, including corrective lenses, patches, drops, fusion exercises, or stereograms, to treat conditions such as strabismus, heterophoria, and convergence insufficiency.
Top skills: Critical Thinking Active Listening Speaking Social Perceptiveness Science Reading Comprehension
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Orthoptist pay by experience level
Entry level$67,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$86,500
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$119,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$167,000
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$202,000
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+2%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
2,400
projected openings per year
Growing slower than average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Orthoptist salary by industry
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS
19,380 workers
$136,000Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
18,810 workers
$136,000General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
3,820 workers
$115,000Ambulatory Health Care Services
3,480 workers
$143,000Offices of Physicians
1,500 workers
$178,500Offices of Other Health Practitioners
1,330 workers
$119,000Educational Services
890 workers
$94,000Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
840 workers
$93,000Educational Services, State Government Owned
710 workers
$99,000Other Ambulatory Health Care Services
330 workers
$97,500National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Orthoptist pays 19% below the average across 91 roles in the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical job family (family average $162,000).
Similar-paying roles in Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
Nurse Midwive$142,000
Radiation Therapist$119,000
Pharmacist$146,000
Optometrist$146,500
Veterinarian$147,500
Medical Dosimetrist$153,500
Physical Therapist$109,000
Genetic Counselor$108,500
Acute Care Nurse$105,000
Careers related to Orthoptist
Emergency Medicine Physician$328,500
Cardiologist$471,000
Pediatric Surgeon$519,500
Chiropractor$93,500
Family Medicine Physician$265,000
Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Orthoptist make?
The average base salary for a Orthoptist in the United States is $132,000 per year, or about $63.46 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $86,500 and $167,000 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.
How does this compare with other Healthcare Practitioners and Technical roles?
The Healthcare Practitioners and Technical job family averages $162,000 across 91 roles tracked by WePayFairly.
Need a defensible market price for this role?
WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
Put this data to work
Need Orthoptist pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
Request an analysisWant to see what this salary looks like after taxes? Estimate your take-home pay →
