Optometry Practices NAICS 621320
Unlock access to the full platform with more than 900 industry reports and local economic insights.
Get access to this Industry Profile including 18+ chapters and more than 50 pages of industry research.
Industry Summary
The 22,900 optometry practices in the US are the main providers of vision care. About 55% of optometrist revenue comes from fees for patient care, which includes exams and treatment for problems. The sale of eyeglasses and contact lenses, known as “dispensing revenue,” accounts for over 40% of overall revenue. There are about 36,690 optometrists in the US – a majority work in private optometry practices.
Competition From Retail Chains
Independent optometry practices face competition from large retail optical chains, as well as mass merchandisers offering optical services.
Reimbursement Issues Affect Profit
Changing reimbursement rates and rules create challenges for optometry practices.
Recent Developments
Jul 1, 2026 - US Adults' Ability to Afford Healthcare at a Five-Year Low
- Fewer than half of Americans (49%) can consistently afford the care and medications they need, according to the latest West Health-Gallup Healthcare Affordability Index. Optometry practices may be negatively impacted by decreasing health care affordability. The share of adults who are “cost secure” has decreased from a 2022 peak of 61%, and an estimated 2.8 million more people fell out of that category between 2024 and 2025 alone. Cost insecurity now reaches groups long considered insulated: just 61% of adults 65 and older are cost secure, down from 73% in 2021.
- About 78% of optometry practices were using AI for at least one function as of 2025, according to SellersCommerce. AI integrations typically combine charting, revenue cycle management, and marketing into a unified platform. AI integrations are part of how practices are run, with an eye on increasing efficiency while improving their bottom line, according to Invision.
- Optometry practice owners have been selling their practices and retiring at an increasing rate during the past five years, according to Invision Magazine. This has boosted demand for associate Doctors of Optometry to fill the vacant spots. Private practice is not appealing when it’s a choice between going into debt to start your business or accepting a high six-figure salary and a generous package as an employee, according to Invision. Compensation demanded by young optometrists reflects the disparity between low supply and high demand. The average day rate for a part-time optometrist is now above $700 and, in some markets, above $800.
- Optometry practice employment and average wages for nonsupervisory employees decreased slightly during the first five months of 2026, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. US optometry practice sales are forecast to grow at a 5.72% compounded annual rate from 2026 to 2030, faster than the growth of the overall economy, according to Inforum and the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc.
Industry Revenue
Optometry Practices
Industry Structure
Industry size & Structure
The average optometry practice has a single location, 8 employees, and about $973,500 in annual revenue.
- There are about 22,900 optometry practices in the US with $18.2 billion in revenue.
- On an annual basis, the typical optometry practice logs 2,500-3,500 patient visits per optometrist.
- There are about 36,690 optometrists in the US - a majority work in private optometry practices. The rest work for ophthalmologists, retail optical chains, hospitals, HMOs, or the military.
- Optometrists need a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree, which requires 4 years of graduate study at one of 20 accredited schools of optometry in the US.
- All states require that optometrists be licensed, which requires an OD degree and passing a written National Board exam and a National, Regional, or State clinical exam. Licenses must be renewed every 1-3 years and continuing education credits are required for renewal.
Industry Forecast
Industry Forecast
Optometry Practices Industry Growth
Source: Vertical IQ and Inforum
Vertical IQ Industry Report
For anyone actively digging deeper into a specific industry.
50+ pages of timely industry insights
18+ chapters
PDF delivered to your inbox
