Counter-Intuitive: Rural FQHC Optometrists Earn $17K MORE Than Urban ($168K vs $151K) — ACU 2023 Survey
Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) 2023 Community Health Center Optometry Workforce Survey (n=37 ODs): rural FQHC optometrists earn $168K average vs urban $151K — a $17K rural premium. Average across all FQHC ODs: $155K.
This reverses the conventional assumption that urban=higher comp and reflects acute rural-recruitment premiums (relocation bonuses, sign-on, retention). Average productivity: 16.1 patient visits per 8-hour day, with technician support yielding 15.9/day.
At $202.65 PPS base rate × 16 visits = ~$3,242/day in PPS revenue — meaning each FQHC OD generates 4-5× their salary in encounter revenue. Useful counter-narrative for displaced urban candidates considering rural FQHC opportunities, and for CA FQHC executives recruiting in North State, North Coast, Central Valley.
Primary source
Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU)Source packet
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FQHC Talent. (2024, August 1). Counter-Intuitive: Rural FQHC Optometrists Earn $17K MORE Than Urban ($168K vs $151K) — ACU 2023 Survey. Primary source: Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU). Retrieved July 30, 2026, from https://www.fqhctalent.com/intel/acu-fqhc-od-salary-rural-higher-than-urban
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