Money · 1 of 5
What optometrists make
Typical
$110,000
New grad associate
$85,000
Practice owner
$162,000
Associates are paid a daily rate or a share of billings. Owners earn more from selling glasses and contacts on top of exam fees. Pay varies by province, partly because some provincial health plans pay for eye exams and others do not. Job Bank's census-based median is about $81,000 a year, pulled down by the many optometrists who work part time; its top end is about $162,000.