Answers · UK 2025/26

What is the take-home pay for an optometrist in the UK?

A UK optometrist typically earns around £45,000 a year. On £45,000 in 2026/27, take-home pay after £6,486 Income Tax and £2,594.40 National Insurance is £35,919.60 a year, or about £2,993.30 a month.

Last updated: 3 July 2026Last reviewed: 3 July 2026How we verify

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Optometrists in the UK typically earn between £35,000 for newly qualified practitioners and £55,000 or more for experienced or specialist optometrists, with locum work often paying a higher effective daily rate than an equivalent salaried role. On a representative salary of £45,000 for 2026/27, the tax-free Personal Allowance covers the first £12,570, and the remaining £32,430 is taxed at the 20% basic rate, giving £6,486 Income Tax. National Insurance is 8% of the same £32,430, giving £2,594.40. Total deductions of £9,080.40 leave take-home pay of £35,919.60 a year, around £2,993.30 a month, before any pension contribution. Many optometrists work as locums, either self-employed or through a limited company, in which case income is taxed very differently -- self-employed locums pay Income Tax and Class 4 National Insurance through Self Assessment on their profits after allowable expenses, while those working through a limited company face Corporation Tax on company profits and dividend or salary tax on withdrawals, alongside IR35 considerations for engagements that resemble employment. Salaried optometrists working for opticians chains or the NHS have tax and National Insurance deducted automatically through PAYE, with a workplace pension further reducing take-home pay in exchange for retirement benefits.