The average optometrist salary in the UK is around £48,000 a year, ranging from roughly £40,000 for entry-level to £56,000+ for experienced optometrists.
The role of an Optometrist in the UK is both prestigious and financially rewarding. As eye health becomes an increasing priority across all age groups, the demand for skilled optometrists continues to grow. From bustling clinics in London to independent practices in Manchester and Edinburgh, healthcare providers are actively seeking top talent and offering competitive compensation packages to attract and retain the best professionals.
Optometrist salary
Base pay £40K – £56K/yr
£48K/yr average base pay
The estimated total pay for a Optometrist is £49,232 per year, with an average salary of £47,537 per year. This number represents the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated additional pay is £1,696 per year. Additional pay could include cash bonus, commission, tips, and profit sharing.
Optometrist Salary by Experience Level in the UK
| Experience | Salary |
| Entry | £40,000–£48,000 |
| Mid | £48,000–£52,000 |
| Senior | £56,000+ |
Optometrist pay in the UK depends heavily on setting: those in independent practice or practice ownership typically earn more than employed optometrists at high-street chains. Years of experience, additional qualifications such as independent prescribing, and location — especially London and the South East — all affect where someone lands in this range.
How To Become An Optometrist In The UK
Becoming an optometrist requires a 3-4 year BSc (Hons) Optometry degree from a General Optical Council (GOC)-accredited university. After graduating, you’ll complete a pre-registration year — a supervised placement in practice combined with assessments through the Scheme for Registration, including OSCEs (Objective Structured Clinical Examinations) that test your practical skills.
Once you pass, you register with the GOC to practise independently. From there, many optometrists go on to gain additional qualifications — such as independent prescribing rights — which typically unlock higher pay and more clinical responsibility, especially in hospital eye services or specialist practice.
Highest paying cities for Optometrist near United Kingdom
- Norwich
£65,242 per year118 salaries reported - Colchester
£62,017 per year130 salaries reported - Sheffield
£60,639 per year123 salaries reported - Newcastle upon Tyne
£60,446 per year277 salaries reported - Bristol
£58,364 per year354 salaries reported - Southampton
£57,464 per year318 salaries reported - Bournemouth
£56,366 per year152 salaries reported - Liverpool
£55,111 per year223 salaries reported - London
£54,891 per year611 salaries reported
Optometry is one of several independent-practice healthcare careers with strong UK earning potential — compare it with our Dentist Salary guide, or use Debut’s Paycheck Calculator to see this after tax.
