What is the salary range for Opticians, Dispensing?

Opticians, Dispensing salaries in the US range from $34,470 at the 10th percentile to $73,240 at the 90th percentile per year.

How many Opticians, Dispensing are there in the United States?

An estimated 79,690 people work as Opticians, Dispensing across the United States as of 2024.

Average Salary for Opticians, Dispensing

SOC 29-2081 · Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations · 2024 data

The median annual wage for Opticians, Dispensing in the United States is $46,560 ($22.38/hr), based on 2024 BLS OEWS data. Wages range from $34,470 at the 10th percentile to $73,240 at the 90th percentile nationally. An estimated 79,690 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has grown 35.8% since 2014.

Median Annual

$46,560

Mean Annual

$49,970

10th Pct

$34,470

75th Pct

$59,680

Employment

79,690

Salary Distribution

$34k

10th

$38k

25th

$47k

Median

$60k

75th

$73k

90th

Highest Paying Metro Areas

Metro Area	Median Annual	Mean Annual
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT	$72,750	$67,400
Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT	$68,790	$66,700
Barnstable Town, MA	$66,880	$68,330
New Haven, CT	$64,990	$64,860
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ	$64,940	$63,020
Naples-Marco Island, FL	$64,710	$62,580
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT	$64,580	$64,880
Worcester, MA	$64,520	$65,540
Vallejo, CA	$64,400	$63,280
Burlington-South Burlington, VT	$63,940	$63,480
Trenton-Princeton, NJ	$63,830	$64,120
Springfield, MA	$63,420	$64,800
Waterbury-Shelton, CT	$63,170	$65,580
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$62,780	$64,870
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$62,570	$64,780

Salary by State

State	Median Annual	Mean Annual	Employment
New Jersey	$66,250	$65,020	2,260
Connecticut	$64,780	$65,550	580
Massachusetts	$63,810	$65,400	1,430
New York	$60,100	$63,050	5,180
District of Columbia	$59,110	$60,580	60
California	$57,770	$59,000	8,180
Vermont	$57,500	$61,420	90
Florida	$56,920	$54,980	5,030
Alaska	$56,260	$58,030	90
Hawaii	$56,090	$57,170	160
Virginia	$54,320	$54,370	2,500
Rhode Island	$50,380	$55,420	280
North Carolina	$49,570	$53,600	1,890
Oregon	$49,550	$59,810	1,090
New Hampshire	$49,400	$51,690	500
Minnesota	$49,020	$49,520	1,630
Washington	$48,320	$52,170	2,000
Ohio	$48,080	$48,420	3,190
Tennessee	$47,850	$48,760	1,640
Maryland	$47,710	$48,560	1,170
Nevada	$47,600	$53,740	1,440
South Carolina	$46,830	$48,760	870
Arizona	$46,520	$49,940	1,670
Maine	$46,310	$47,510	310
Colorado	$45,900	$48,010	1,510
Georgia	$45,640	$50,190	2,580
Arkansas	$45,440	$47,370	660
Montana	$44,600	$45,700	310
Kentucky	$44,530	$46,290	980
Pennsylvania	$44,010	$45,190	2,750
Wisconsin	$43,320	$44,630	1,530
Iowa	$41,810	$42,990	1,000
North Dakota	$41,400	$43,910	300
Illinois	$41,230	$44,560	3,660
South Dakota	$41,020	$42,130	420
Delaware	$40,400	$44,080	280
Michigan	$39,870	$43,500	3,220
Utah	$39,760	$44,800	680
Idaho	$39,670	$44,510	570
Nebraska	$38,850	$40,970	670
West Virginia	$38,480	$41,030	400
Kansas	$37,890	$40,590	810
Wyoming	$37,870	$39,440	160
Indiana	$37,740	$39,780	1,900
Missouri	$36,960	$44,340	1,610
New Mexico	$36,910	$38,880	350
Texas	$36,400	$38,370	7,100
Oklahoma	$36,150	$36,680	700
Alabama	$35,570	$36,750	920
Mississippi	$35,530	$36,210	560
Louisiana	$34,910	$37,320	880
Puerto Rico	$28,690	$30,190	1,070

Salary by Industry

National median wage for Opticians, Dispensing broken down by industry sector, 2024 data.

Industry	Median Annual	Employment
Outpatient Care Centers	$76,420	1,340
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$55,850	190
Hospitals	$55,800	190
Wholesale Trade	$52,190	420
Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$52,000	420
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods	$52,000	420
General Merchandise Retailers	$51,830	17,200
State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)	$51,430	90
Offices of Physicians	$49,910	9,030
Offices of All Other Health Practitioners	$49,390	120
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	$49,300	280
Educational Services	$49,300	280
Educational Services	$49,300	—
Retail Trade	$48,470	35,080
Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation)	$48,260	170
Manufacturing	$48,240	40
Miscellaneous Manufacturing	$48,240	40
Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing	$48,240	40
Cross-industry, Private Ownership only	$46,550	79,530
Health and Personal Care Retailers	$46,250	17,880
Health and Personal Care Retailers	$46,250	17,880
Health Care and Social Assistance	$45,580	43,300
Ambulatory Health Care Services	$45,530	43,060
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	$45,140	120
Temporary Help Services	$45,140	110
Employment Services	$45,140	120
Administrative and Support Services	$45,140	120
Offices of Other Health Practitioners	$44,180	32,690
Offices of Optometrists	$44,090	32,580
Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)	$40,560	80
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation)	$37,880	50
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation)	$37,880	50
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)	$37,120	50

National Wage Trend

View data table

Year	Median Annual	Mean Annual	Employment
2024	$46,560	$49,970	79,690
2023	$44,170	$47,560	76,770
2022	$39,610	$44,890	73,460
2021	$37,570	$43,060	73,270
2020	$38,530	$41,380	68,180
2019	$37,840	$40,730	72,330
2018	$37,010	$39,930	72,250
2017	$36,250	$39,070	75,450
2016	$35,530	$37,860	75,270
2015	$34,840	$36,820	73,520
2014	$34,280	$36,260	73,110