United States · General Schedule (GS) · FY 2026
VA-OPTOMETRIST Grade Salary
VA Optometrist Base & Longevity Pay.
2026 salary range
$124,308 – $182,324
Annual base in USD ($). Excludes locality pay, allowances, and performance bonuses.
Step-by-step pay table
| Step | Annual | Monthly (approx) | Hourly (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $124,308 | $10,359 | $60 |
| 2 | $182,324 | $15,194 | $88 |
Hourly computed assuming 2,080 annual working hours. Actual hourly rates on official tables may differ slightly.
Locality pay — total after geographic adjustment
Most US federal employees receive locality pay on top of the VA-OPTOMETRIST base. OPM sets the uplift per metro area each January. Below is the locality-adjusted annual salary range for VA-OPTOMETRIST, applied to base step 1 and step 10 respectively.
| Locality Area | Adjustment | Step 1 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCBWashington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | +33.94% | $166,498 | $244,205 |
| NYNew York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | +37.95% | $171,483 | $251,516 |
| SFSan Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +46.34% | $181,912 | $266,813 |
| LALos Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +36.47% | $169,643 | $248,818 |
| CHIChicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | +30.86% | $162,669 | $238,589 |
| RUSRest of U.S. | +17.06% | $145,515 | $213,428 |
| ALAlbany-Schenectady, NY-MA | +20.77% | $150,127 | $220,193 |
| AQAlbuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | +18.33% | $147,094 | $215,744 |
| ATLAtlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL | +23.79% | $153,881 | $225,699 |
| AUAustin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | +20.35% | $149,605 | $219,427 |
| BHBirmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | +18.24% | $146,982 | $215,580 |
| BNBurlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT | +19.45% | $148,486 | $217,786 |
| BOSBoston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | +32.58% | $164,808 | $241,725 |
| BUBuffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | +22.41% | $152,165 | $223,183 |
| CCCorpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | +17.63% | $146,224 | $214,468 |
| CINCincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | +21.93% | $151,569 | $222,308 |
| CLECleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | +22.23% | $151,942 | $222,855 |
| COLColumbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | +22.15% | $151,842 | $222,709 |
| CSColorado Springs, CO | +20.15% | $149,356 | $219,062 |
| CTCharlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +19.67% | $148,759 | $218,187 |
| DAYDayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | +21.42% | $150,935 | $221,378 |
| DENDenver-Aurora, CO | +30.52% | $162,247 | $237,969 |
| DETDetroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | +29.12% | $160,506 | $235,417 |
| DFWDallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | +27.26% | $158,194 | $232,026 |
| DMDes Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | +18.01% | $146,696 | $215,161 |
| DVDavenport-Moline, IA-IL | +18.93% | $147,840 | $216,838 |
| FNFresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | +17.65% | $146,248 | $214,504 |
| HARHartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | +32.08% | $164,186 | $240,814 |
| HBHarrisburg-Lebanon, PA | +19.43% | $148,461 | $217,750 |
| HNTHuntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | +21.91% | $151,544 | $222,271 |
| HOUHouston-The Woodlands, TX | +35.00% | $167,816 | $246,137 |
| INDIndianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN | +18.15% | $146,870 | $215,416 |
| KCKansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | +18.97% | $147,889 | $216,911 |
| LRLaredo, TX | +21.59% | $151,146 | $221,688 |
| LVLas Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | +19.57% | $148,635 | $218,005 |
| MFLMiami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | +24.67% | $154,975 | $227,303 |
| MILMilwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | +22.42% | $152,178 | $223,201 |
| MSPMinneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +27.62% | $158,642 | $232,682 |
| OMOmaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | +18.23% | $146,969 | $215,562 |
| PBPalm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | +17.93% | $146,596 | $215,015 |
| PHLPhiladelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | +28.99% | $160,345 | $235,180 |
| PITPittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | +21.03% | $150,450 | $220,667 |
| PORPortland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | +26.13% | $156,790 | $229,965 |
| PXPhoenix-Mesa, AZ | +22.45% | $152,215 | $223,256 |
| RARaleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | +22.24% | $151,954 | $222,873 |
| RCHRichmond, VA | +22.28% | $152,004 | $222,946 |
| RNReno-Fernley, NV | +17.52% | $146,087 | $214,267 |
| RTRochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY | +17.88% | $146,534 | $214,924 |
| SACSacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | +29.76% | $161,302 | $236,584 |
| SDSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | +33.72% | $166,225 | $243,804 |
| SEASeattle-Tacoma, WA | +31.57% | $163,552 | $239,884 |
| SLSt. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL | +20.03% | $149,207 | $218,843 |
| SNSpokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | +17.67% | $146,273 | $214,541 |
| SOSan Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | +18.78% | $147,653 | $216,564 |
| TUTucson-Nogales, AZ | +19.28% | $148,275 | $217,476 |
| VBVirginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC | +18.80% | $147,678 | $216,601 |
Locality data sourced from U.S. Office of Personnel Management — Locality Pay XML tables. Last refreshed 2026-04-20. RUS ("Rest of U.S.") is the default for areas not otherwise listed. Law-enforcement, special-rate, and capped schedules not shown — see the OPM tables for specifics.
Frequently asked
How much does a VA-OPTOMETRIST make in the United States federal government?
A VA-OPTOMETRIST in the United States federal civil service earns between $124,308 and $182,324 per year in 2026, before locality adjustments, allowances, and bonuses. These figures are published by U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Is the VA-OPTOMETRIST grade the same in every agency?
The base pay scale is set centrally by U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and applied uniformly across eligible federal employers, but agency-specific supplements, locality pay, and bargaining agreements can produce meaningful differences in take-home pay.
Where does this data come from?
Directly from U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/. Each page on FedSalary carries the retrieval date and a link back to the primary source.