Salaries. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provides salary data for both optometrists and physicians. According to its May 2011 figures, the average income for optometrists was $107,720 per year.That same figure, for physicians and surgeons, was $184,650.orkplace. Optometrists often share practices with physicians. This is their highest-earning niche, at an average of $123,720 per year. Outpatient care centers pay an average of $114,230, while mainstream hospitals pay an average of $105,900.