Optometrist.
Kansas City.
$119,000
median salary, 7% below the national average
$100,000 to $147,000. Updated for 2026.
The numbers.
Everything you need to negotiate with confidence.
Kansas City is 7% cheaper than the national average. For Optometrists, that shakes out to a median of $119,000, with the full range spanning $100,000 to $147,000. Practice ownership versus employment is the largest income differentiator for optometrists. Know the range before you walk in.
Salary range
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How Kansas City compares
Kansas City, MO
$119,000
Cost of living: 7% below average
National Average
$128,000
Kansas City is $9,000 below
What you should know
Here is what the Optometrist market actually looks like in Kansas City. Kansas City straddles Missouri and Kansas, creating a unique dual state job market with strong logistics, tech, and agriculture technology sectors. The metro's central location has made it a hub for distribution centers and supply chain companies. Cerner's healthcare IT presence and a growing startup scene have boosted demand for technology professionals. Practice ownership versus employment is the largest income differentiator for optometrists. States with expanded scope allowing therapeutic procedures and medical management increase earning potential. Optometrists specializing in ocular disease management, specialty contact lenses, or pediatric vision earn above those in routine refraction-only settings.
New associate optometrists start at $105,000 to $120,000 on base plus production models. Experienced ODs with strong patient loyalty earn $130,000 to $155,000 after five to seven years. Practice owners or partners in multi-doctor practices can reach $170,000 to $250,000 depending on revenue and overhead management. In Kansas City, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Employed optometrists typically receive production bonuses of 15 to 25% above a base salary guarantee. Benefits include vision and health insurance, CE allowances, malpractice coverage, and optical frame discounts. Practice owners retain higher gross income but manage significant overhead. And on the tax side: missouri's top income tax rate is about 4.8%, and Kansas City adds a 1% earnings tax. Workers living in Kansas face that state's rates instead. Choose your side of the state line carefully. When someone quotes you $119,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Negotiate which side of the state line you will be based on. Your tax situation differs meaningfully between Missouri and Kansas, and some employers offer flexibility on office location. The range for Optometrists in Kansas City runs from $100,000 to $147,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
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Negotiating in Kansas City
Negotiate which side of the state line you will be based on. Your tax situation differs meaningfully between Missouri and Kansas, and some employers offer flexibility on office location.