Optometrist salary Australia: where it sits on the national pay index

What does 'optometrist salary Australia' mean?

When you search for an optometrist salary in Australia, you're probably trying to work out what you can expect to earn or how your pay compares to others in the profession. The trouble is, the official data is patchy. The Australian Bureau of Statistics doesn't publish a median weekly earnings figure for optometrists and orthoptists because the sample is too small to be reliable. That leaves us with award minimums and industry guidance to build a picture.

Where optometrist pay sits on the salary index

The Salary Index measures gross yearly earnings against the national line. An index of 100 equals full-time adult ordinary-time earnings of $2,083.70 per week, or $108,352 a year (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026). If your pay is above that, your index is over 100; below, it's under 100.

For optometrists, we don't have a single index number because the median isn't published. But we can look at the award minimums that took effect from 1 October 2026 under the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 (HPSS Award). These are the legal floor, not what most optometrists earn, but they give a starting point.

Award minimums and their index

Optometry Australia reports that optometrists have been provisionally classified at AQF Level 9 (master's degree level) for the purposes of the HPSS Award. The minimum weekly rates are:

• Level 1, first year: $1,444.90 per week – annualised $75,135, index 69.3
• Level 1, second to third year: $1,545.20 – annualised $80,350, index 74.2
• Level 1, fourth to sixth year: $1,659.30 – annualised $86,284, index 79.6
• Level 1, seventh year onwards: $1,755.00 – annualised $91,260, index 84.2
• Level 2.1: $1,945.40 – annualised $101,161, index 93.4
• Level 2.2: $1,983.20 – annualised $103,126, index 95.2
• Level 3: $1,983.20 – same as Level 2.2
• Level 4: $2,499.10 – annualised $129,953, index 119.9

These are minimum rates only. Actual optometrist salaries are typically higher, especially in private practice or for experienced clinicians. A typical optometrist with a few years' experience might earn somewhere between the Level 1 seventh-year minimum and Level 2.1, putting them close to the national average index of 100. Senior optometrists or those in management roles could easily exceed index 120.

Why the median is missing

The ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (May 2025) doesn't publish median weekly earnings for optometrists and orthoptists because the standard error is too high. That means the sample isn't large enough to produce a reliable figure. It's a common issue for smaller professions. So we rely on award data and industry surveys instead.

Jobs and Skills Australia does give us some context: the median age is 33, 76% of the workforce is female, and only 59% work full-time. Average full-time hours are 40 per week, slightly below the all-occupations average of 44 hours. That part-time share might pull down overall earnings, but full-time optometrists tend to earn solidly.

Award coverage is still uncertain

A key caveat: the Fair Work Commission hasn't formally decided whether optometrists are covered by the HPSS Award. The profession isn't listed in Schedule B. Optometry Australia's advice is that employers should benchmark against the award to be safe, but the classification and rates could change after future Commission decisions. The new rates from 1 October 2026 are the first stage of a five-year wage adjustment process, with further increases each 30 June until 2030.

How state and industry comparisons help

Even without a precise optometrist index, you can compare the award minimums to state and industry benchmarks. For example, the national index for health care and social assistance is 97.8, slightly below the all-industries average. A Level 2.1 optometrist on award minimums (index 93.4) is a bit below that, but a Level 4 optometrist (index 119.9) is well above. In states like Western Australia (index 106.9) or the ACT (index 109.9), cost of living and market rates might push actual optometrist pay higher.

What about tax and super?

If you're earning an optometrist salary, remember that the salary index uses gross ordinary-time earnings. Your take-home pay will be less after tax and the 2% Medicare levy. For the 2026–27 tax year, a resident earning $100,000 would pay about $24,267 in tax plus $2,000 Medicare levy, leaving around $73,733. Superannuation is 12% from 1 July 2026, so your employer contributes an extra 12% on top of your salary, up to the maximum contribution base of $270,830.

Where to find more

For the latest award rates, check the pay guides on the Fair Work Commission's Modern Awards Pay Database. If you're comparing across states, the states page shows how each region sits on the index. And for a deeper look at how the index works, see how the index works.

The bottom line

An optometrist salary in Australia is hard to pin to a single index number because the official median isn't published. But the award minimums from October 2026 give a floor ranging from index 69 to 120. Most full-time optometrists with a few years' experience probably earn around the national average or above, putting them in the index 90–110 range. If you're negotiating pay or planning a career move, use the award rates as a baseline and factor in your experience, location, and the type of practice.