Optometrist salary in Singapore
What the job is: Optometrist provides diagnosis, management and treatment services for disorders of the eyes and visual system. SSOC 2024, 22670
- Optometrist: S$5,561 median a month. Middle 50% earn S$4,830 to S$6,450.
- In health and social services: S$5,561 median, the same as the all-industry figure.
- At employers with 200 or more staff: S$5,818 median.
- Women optometrists: S$5,500 median. MOM does not publish a figure for men.
- No age or graduate figures: MOM publishes none for optometrists in June 2025, and the university graduate survey figures used here include no optometry degree.
How much do optometrists earn?
An optometrist earns S$5,561 at the median. The middle 50% earn S$4,830 to S$6,450.
Gross monthly wage, June 2025, all industries.
| Occupation, all industries | Basic wage, median | Gross, 25th percentile | Gross, median | Gross, 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OptometristLimited detail | 5,561 | 4,830 | 5,561 | 6,450 |
Source cells (MOM spreadsheet)
T4!C187:I187- Optometrists have a range of S$1,620 between the 25th and 75th percentile.
- The basic median is S$5,561, the same as the gross median.
- An optometrist diagnoses, manages and treats disorders of the eyes and visual system and prescribes optical aids (SSOC 2024).
How pay changes with age
MOM publishes no age breakdown for optometrists in June 2025.
Median gross monthly wage by age group.
| Occupation | 25–29 | 30–39 | 40–49 | 50–59 |
|---|
- MOM's Table 3 shows no age figure for optometrists.
- The pay history below shows how the median has moved from year to year.
By sex and employer sizeOptometrists at employers with 200 or more staff earn S$5,818 at the median.
Optometrists at employers with 200 or more staff earn S$5,818 at the median.
| Occupation | All, median gross | Men | Women | Women vs men |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | 5,561 | – | 5,500 | – |
Source cells (MOM spreadsheet)
T1.2!C163:E163| Occupation | Firms with 25 to 199 employees | Firms with 200 or more | Large vs small |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | – | 5,818 | – |
Source cells (MOM spreadsheet)
T2!C183:G183- MOM publishes optometrist pay only for employers with 200 or more staff.
- Women optometrists earn S$5,500 at the median. MOM publishes no figure for men.
- These compare groups. They are not an adjusted pay gap.
By employer industry
MOM publishes an optometrist median for one industry: health and social services, at S$5,561.
| Employer industry | Median gross wage | Gross wage, middle 50% |
|---|---|---|
| Health and Social Services | 5,561 | 4,830 to 6,450 |
Source cells (MOM spreadsheet)
T4.12!C41:I41- The middle 50% of optometrists in health and social services earn S$4,830 to S$6,450.
Pay over time and 2026 outlook
The optometrist median rose 54.5% from S$3,600 in 2020 to S$5,561 in 2025. It has moved too much from year to year to project.
Official medians for the last six years, then a projection for June 2026.
| Occupation | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | 3,600 | 4,954 | 5,289 | 5,092 | 5,241 | 5,561 |
June 2026 projection Estimate
| Occupation | June 2025 (MOM) | June 2026 projection | 80% range | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | 5,561 | Not projected: too volatile | ||
- The median was S$4,954 in 2021, S$5,289 in 2022, S$5,092 in 2023 and S$5,241 in 2024.
- The 2020 figure is the lowest in the series and our projection model marks the job too volatile, so we show no 2026 projection.
Is optometry affected by AI?
The ILO rates optometrists Not exposed to generative AI, with an average task score of 0.24.
Based on the International Labour Organization's 2025 index, which scores every core task of a job from 0 (AI cannot help) to 1 (AI could do nearly all of it).
AI can do very little of this job. Most tasks are hands-on or face to face.
- Most exposed taskPrescribing corrective eyeglasses, contact lenses
- Least exposed taskExamining patients’ eyes and conducting diagnostic tests
- In numbersNone of its 7 main tasks is one AI could do a large part of.
- Not exposed
- Minimal
- Some
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
Scored as ILO group 2267 Optometrists and ophthalmic opticians. Average task score 0.24, higher than 43% of the 427 jobs the ILO scored.
| Factor | Optometrist |
|---|---|
| 1Exposure levelThe ILO's rating for the whole job, from not exposed up to very high. | Not exposed |
| 2Average task scoreHow much of each core task generative AI could do, averaged. 0 means none, 1 means nearly all. | 0.24 higher than 43% of jobs |
| 3Tasks AI could do much ofTasks scoring 0.5 or more. These are the parts of the job most likely to change. | 0 of 7 |
| 4Hands-on or people tasksTasks scoring under 0.25: physical, in-person or judgement work that AI barely touches. | 4 of 7 |
| 5How even the exposure isEven means AI touches most tasks a little. Uneven means a few tasks are exposed and the rest are not. | Even (0.06) |
| 6Most exposed taskWhere AI tools are likely to show up first. | Prescribing corrective eyeglasses, contact lenses and other… 0.36 |
| 7Least exposed taskThe task AI can help with least. | Examining patients’ eyes and conducting diagnostic tests to… 0.15 |
| 8Pay trend so farChange in the MOM median since the first year on record. Any AI effect would show here in later years. | +54% S$3,600 (2020) to S$5,561 (2025) |
- 0.36Prescribing corrective eyeglasses, contact lenses and other vision aids, and…
- 0.27Consulting with and referring patients to ophthalmologists or other health…
- 0.26Testing visual function using specialized instruments and equipment for…
- 0.15Examining patients’ eyes and conducting diagnostic tests to assess ocular…
- 0.18Detecting and diagnosing eye movement disorders and defects of binocular…
- 0.21Detecting, diagnosing and managing eye disease, including prescribing…
Source cells (MOM spreadsheet)
SSOC 22670 to ISCO 2267 (SSOC2024-ISCO08!B238)- Prescribing corrective eyeglasses, contact lenses and other vision aids is the most exposed task, at 0.36.
- Examining patients' eyes and conducting diagnostic tests is the least exposed task, at 0.15.
- None of the 7 main tasks scores 0.5 or more, and 4 score under 0.25.
- Exposure measures how much of the work AI could do or speed up. It does not measure job cuts.
Which figure should you compare with?
Match your title first, then whether your employer has 200 or more staff.
| You are | Compare with | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist, lower end | 25th percentile, gross a month | S$4,830 |
| Optometrist | All-industry median | S$5,561 |
| Optometrist at a large employer | 200 or more staff | S$5,818 |
| Woman optometrist | Women's median | S$5,500 |
| Optometrist, upper end | 75th percentile, gross a month | S$6,450 |
About these figures
What the pay figures includeMonthly gross pay with allowances and overtime, without bonuses or employer CPF
Every figure is monthly, includes allowances and overtime, and excludes bonuses and employer CPF.
| Measure | Includes | Excludes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic wage | Basic pay | Allowances, overtime, bonus, employer CPF |
| Gross wage | Basic + allowances + overtime + commissions | Bonus, employer CPF, lump sums |
| Graduate salary | Same as gross, full-time permanent jobs only | Bonus, employer CPF |
- S$5,561 × 12 = S$66,732 a year before bonus. It is not a total package.
What this data does not coverMOM surveys private-sector employers with 25 or more staff, so employers with fewer than 25 staff are not covered.
MOM surveys private-sector employers with 25 or more staff, so employers with fewer than 25 staff are not covered.
- Every MOM figure is for full-time resident employees.
- MOM publishes no age figure and no figure for men for optometrists in June 2025.
- The MOE graduate survey figures used here include no optometry degree, so there is no graduate starting figure.
- MOM figures exclude bonuses.
Questions
What is the optometrist salary in Singapore?
MOM's median gross monthly wage for optometrist was S$5,561 in June 2025. The middle half earned S$4,830 to S$6,450. Basic pay alone had a median of S$5,561.
What is the optometrist salary per year in Singapore?
S$5,561 a month is S$66,732 a year before bonus. Bonuses and the employer's CPF contribution come on top and are not in MOM's monthly figure.
What is the difference between an optometrist and a pharmacist?
Optometrist provides diagnosis, management and treatment services for disorders of the eyes and visual system. Pharmacist (patient care) makes or dispenses medicaments and related preparations according to prescriptions or formulae. In June 2025 the median gross monthly wage was S$5,561 for optometrists and S$5,612 for pharmacists (MOM; definitions from SSOC 2024).
Where do these figures come from?
From MOM's Occupational Wages 2025, which covers full-time resident employees in private firms with at least 25 staff, as at June 2025. Gross wages include allowances and overtime but not bonuses or employer CPF.
Related guides
Sources
MOM Occupational Wages 2025
- MOM, Occupational Wages 2025, Tables 1 to 4. June 2025, released 30 June 2026. SSOC 22670. Exact cells are listed under each table.
- MOM, Coverage and Methodology 2025.
- ILO generative AI exposure index 2025, matched to SSOC through the SingStat correspondence table.