Opticians, Dispensing
Opticians, Dispensing (SOC 29-2081) earn a median $47,260 a year ($22.72 an hour) in the United States, with 73,530 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Connecticut.
What opticians, dispensing do
Dispensing opticians design, measure, fit and adapt lenses and frames according to a written optical prescription or specification. The SOC includes contact lens opticians. They evaluate the prescription alongside the client's vocational and avocational visual requirements and recommend specific lenses, lens coatings and frames. They help clients choose frames by style and color, and make sure the frames suit facial and eye measurements and the prescription. They measure bridge and eye size, temple length, vertex distance, pupillary distance and the optical centers of the eyes, then prepare a work order for the optical laboratory with instructions for grinding and mounting the lenses. When the finished lenses return, the optician verifies that they were ground to specification and adjusts the frame and lens position to fit the client, heating, shaping or bending plastic or metal frames with pliers and hands. Education is varied: about 46 percent of respondents report a high school diploma and a quarter each an associate degree or a certificate. Opticians show customers how to insert, remove and care for contact lenses, and keep records of prescriptions, work orders and payments.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical level of education for this occupation (46 percent).
Also called: Certified Optician, Contact Lens Fitter, Contact Lens Technician, Dispensing and Measuring Optician, Dispensing Optician.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $17.12 | $18.66 | $22.72 | $29.66 | $36.90 | $24.89 | 73,530 |
| Annual | $35,610 | $38,820 | $47,260 | $61,700 | $76,750 | $51,770 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where opticians, dispensing earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $23.41 | $26.93 | $36.20 | $39.09 | $40.90 | $33.31 | 610 | 0.36 | 0.76 |
| Annual | $48,700 | $56,010 | $75,300 | $81,300 | $85,070 | $69,290 | ||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $19.75 | $28.03 | $36.20 | $36.99 | $38.90 | $32.40 | 110 | 0.18 | 0.38 |
| Annual | $41,080 | $58,310 | $75,300 | $76,940 | $80,910 | $67,390 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $22.65 | $30.17 | $34.84 | $38.81 | $40.88 | $33.50 | 2,010 | 0.47 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $47,110 | $62,760 | $72,460 | $80,720 | $85,020 | $69,680 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $23.49 | $26.10 | $32.31 | $38.30 | $40.17 | $32.46 | 1,360 | 0.37 | 0.79 |
| Annual | $48,850 | $54,290 | $67,210 | $79,670 | $83,550 | $67,520 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $20.70 | $24.28 | $30.71 | $35.38 | $39.04 | $31.17 | 3,520 | 0.36 | 0.77 |
| Annual | $43,060 | $50,500 | $63,880 | $73,580 | $81,200 | $64,830 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $20.38 | $22.62 | $27.88 | $37.24 | $39.27 | $29.36 | 7,840 | 0.43 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $42,390 | $47,050 | $57,990 | $77,460 | $81,680 | $61,070 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $14.41 | $16.96 | $18.61 | $23.00 | $28.00 | $20.51 | 6,700 | 0.48 | 1.01 |
| Annual | $29,970 | $35,290 | $38,720 | $47,840 | $58,240 | $42,650 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $17.55 | $21.83 | $28.30 | $32.19 | $36.29 | $27.19 | 5,080 | 0.51 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $36,510 | $45,400 | $58,850 | $66,960 | $75,480 | $56,560 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $20.70 | $24.28 | $30.71 | $35.38 | $39.04 | $31.17 | 3,520 | 0.36 | 0.77 |
| Annual | $43,060 | $50,500 | $63,880 | $73,580 | $81,200 | $64,830 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $17.83 | $18.36 | $21.14 | $23.01 | $30.21 | $22.13 | 3,250 | 0.53 | 1.13 |
| Annual | $37,080 | $38,190 | $43,960 | $47,850 | $62,830 | $46,020 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Vallejo, CA | Hourly | $22.96 | $23.99 | $37.90 | $38.60 | $41.45 | $33.51 | 90 | 0.62 | 1.32 |
| Annual | $47,760 | $49,890 | $78,830 | $80,290 | $86,220 | $69,690 | ||||
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | Hourly | $25.02 | $29.15 | $37.79 | $41.25 | $43.44 | $35.77 | 130 | 0.31 | 0.66 |
| Annual | $52,030 | $60,630 | $78,600 | $85,810 | $90,350 | $74,410 | ||||
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | Hourly | $23.21 | $26.96 | $37.24 | $38.43 | $42.28 | $33.85 | 120 | 0.56 | 1.19 |
| Annual | $48,270 | $56,070 | $77,460 | $79,940 | $87,940 | $70,420 | ||||
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | Hourly | $23.41 | $28.47 | $36.93 | $38.52 | $40.90 | $33.91 | 70 | 0.44 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $48,700 | $59,220 | $76,820 | $80,130 | $85,070 | $70,540 | ||||
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | Hourly | $23.59 | $27.57 | $36.62 | $40.12 | $40.89 | $34.64 | 60 | 0.50 | 1.06 |
| Annual | $49,070 | $57,350 | $76,170 | $83,450 | $85,060 | $72,040 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $20.70 | $27.06 | $34.16 | $37.61 | $40.89 | $32.66 | 3,460 | 0.36 | 0.77 |
| Annual | $43,060 | $56,290 | $71,050 | $78,220 | $85,050 | $67,940 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $19.51 | $22.59 | $26.98 | $34.80 | $39.39 | $28.71 | 3,070 | 0.49 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $40,570 | $47,000 | $56,130 | $72,380 | $81,920 | $59,720 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $18.04 | $18.86 | $21.41 | $23.44 | $30.56 | $22.68 | 2,420 | 0.54 | 1.14 |
| Annual | $37,530 | $39,230 | $44,530 | $48,750 | $63,560 | $47,180 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $16.60 | $17.15 | $22.13 | $23.65 | $28.00 | $21.92 | 2,070 | 0.51 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $34,520 | $35,680 | $46,030 | $49,180 | $58,240 | $45,600 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $14.18 | $16.64 | $18.29 | $22.61 | $24.08 | $19.97 | 1,660 | 0.51 | 1.07 |
| Annual | $29,490 | $34,610 | $38,050 | $47,020 | $50,080 | $41,530 | ||||
Top industries employing opticians, dispensing
Offices of Other Health Practitioners employ 43.5% of opticians, dispensing nationally (31,960 jobs) at a median $45,320 a year ($21.79 an hour), followed by General Merchandise Retailers (23.8%) and Health and Personal Care Retailers (21.0%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners NAICS 621300 | 31,960 | 43.5% | $45,320 | $21.79 |
| General Merchandise Retailers NAICS 455000 | 17,520 | 23.8% | $60,000 | $28.85 |
| Health and Personal Care Retailers NAICS 456100 | 15,430 | 21.0% | $47,460 | $22.82 |
| Offices of Physicians NAICS 621100 | 5,720 | 7.8% | $48,590 | $23.36 |
| Outpatient Care Centers NAICS 621400 | 1,760 | 2.4% | $79,980 | $38.45 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (73,530). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $37,570 for opticians, dispensing in May 2021 and $47,260 in May 2025, with employment of 73,270 and 73,530.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $37,570 | $18.06 | 73,270 |
| May 2022 | $39,610 | $19.04 | 73,460 |
| May 2023 | $44,170 | $21.23 | 76,770 |
| May 2024 | $46,560 | $22.38 | 79,690 |
| May 2025 | $47,260 | $22.72 | 73,530 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut profile | $36.20 | $75,300 | $48,700 | $85,070 | 610 | 0.36 | 0.76 |
| 2 | Hawaii profile | $36.20 | $75,300 | $41,080 | $80,910 | 110 | 0.18 | 0.38 |
| 3 | New Jersey profile | $34.84 | $72,460 | $47,110 | $85,020 | 2,010 | 0.47 | 0.99 |
| 4 | Massachusetts profile | $32.31 | $67,210 | $48,850 | $83,550 | 1,360 | 0.37 | 0.79 |
| 5 | New York profile | $30.71 | $63,880 | $43,060 | $81,200 | 3,520 | 0.36 | 0.77 |
| 6 | District of Columbia profile | $29.48 | $61,310 | $45,190 | $86,110 | 80 | 0.11 | 0.24 |
| 7 | Florida profile | $28.30 | $58,850 | $36,510 | $75,480 | 5,080 | 0.51 | 1.08 |
| 8 | Alaska profile | $28.01 | $58,250 | $38,940 | $75,760 | 90 | 0.28 | 0.59 |
| 9 | California profile | $27.88 | $57,990 | $42,390 | $81,680 | 7,840 | 0.43 | 0.91 |
| 10 | Vermont profile | $27.57 | $57,350 | $41,600 | $76,850 | 70 | 0.22 | 0.47 |
| 11 | Virginia profile | $26.84 | $55,820 | $36,360 | $77,460 | 1,860 | 0.45 | 0.96 |
| 12 | New Hampshire profile | $24.99 | $51,980 | $41,130 | $66,670 | 440 | 0.65 | 1.38 |
| 13 | Ohio profile | $24.28 | $50,500 | $35,830 | $65,280 | 2,960 | 0.53 | 1.13 |
| 14 | North Carolina profile | $24.13 | $50,190 | $36,500 | $81,340 | 2,020 | 0.41 | 0.87 |
| 15 | Tennessee profile | $23.96 | $49,840 | $34,740 | $74,160 | 1,530 | 0.47 | 0.98 |
| 16 | Washington profile | $23.66 | $49,220 | $41,120 | $78,830 | 2,100 | 0.59 | 1.25 |
| 17 | Oregon profile | $23.66 | $49,210 | $39,480 | $76,750 | 1,000 | 0.51 | 1.08 |
| 18 | Maryland profile | $23.41 | $48,700 | $37,100 | $64,830 | 1,060 | 0.38 | 0.81 |
| 19 | Arizona profile | $23.18 | $48,210 | $39,890 | $75,300 | 1,400 | 0.43 | 0.91 |
| 20 | Minnesota profile | $23.09 | $48,020 | $36,920 | $67,490 | 1,490 | 0.51 | 1.07 |
| 21 | Georgia profile | $23.08 | $48,010 | $36,800 | $74,120 | 2,290 | 0.47 | 0.99 |
| 22 | South Carolina profile | $23.08 | $48,000 | $36,240 | $73,890 | 890 | 0.39 | 0.82 |
| 23 | Rhode Island profile | $22.79 | $47,400 | $38,480 | $77,130 | 350 | 0.69 | 1.46 |
| 24 | Colorado profile | $22.74 | $47,310 | $38,900 | $66,160 | 1,520 | 0.53 | 1.12 |
| 25 | Maine profile | $22.70 | $47,220 | $39,110 | $60,190 | 350 | 0.54 | 1.14 |
| 26 | Montana profile | $22.62 | $47,050 | $36,240 | $64,730 | 330 | 0.64 | 1.34 |
| 27 | Nevada profile | $22.55 | $46,910 | $38,090 | $84,660 | 960 | 0.62 | 1.31 |
| 28 | Delaware profile | $22.22 | $46,220 | $31,200 | $60,790 | 270 | 0.56 | 1.18 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania profile | $21.85 | $45,450 | $36,160 | $58,450 | 2,230 | 0.37 | 0.78 |
| 30 | North Dakota profile | $21.74 | $45,230 | $37,220 | $56,100 | 230 | 0.54 | 1.14 |
| 31 | Wisconsin profile | $21.55 | $44,820 | $36,680 | $60,320 | 1,430 | 0.49 | 1.03 |
| 32 | Iowa profile | $21.39 | $44,480 | $37,270 | $53,790 | 920 | 0.59 | 1.25 |
| 33 | Kentucky profile | $21.29 | $44,290 | $30,190 | $65,130 | 950 | 0.47 | 1.00 |
| 34 | Illinois profile | $21.14 | $43,960 | $37,080 | $62,830 | 3,250 | 0.53 | 1.13 |
| 35 | Idaho profile | $21.13 | $43,950 | $34,730 | $75,300 | 530 | 0.62 | 1.30 |
| 36 | South Dakota profile | $20.87 | $43,400 | $32,390 | $49,730 | 430 | 0.93 | 1.97 |
| 37 | Arkansas profile | $20.62 | $42,880 | $30,100 | $73,890 | 690 | 0.53 | 1.12 |
| 38 | Utah profile | $20.09 | $41,780 | $35,680 | $76,750 | 700 | 0.40 | 0.85 |
| 39 | Michigan profile | $19.80 | $41,180 | $34,610 | $52,090 | 3,080 | 0.70 | 1.48 |
| 40 | Kansas profile | $19.30 | $40,140 | $36,050 | $48,480 | 630 | 0.44 | 0.92 |
| 41 | Nebraska profile | $19.15 | $39,830 | $35,800 | $52,670 | 870 | 0.85 | 1.79 |
| 42 | Indiana profile | $18.93 | $39,370 | $31,930 | $49,960 | 2,010 | 0.63 | 1.33 |
| 43 | Wyoming profile | $18.80 | $39,100 | $33,110 | $53,840 | 130 | 0.45 | 0.96 |
| 44 | New Mexico profile | $18.80 | $39,090 | $31,010 | $72,920 | 340 | 0.39 | 0.83 |
| 45 | Missouri profile | $18.63 | $38,750 | $34,110 | $54,810 | 1,600 | 0.55 | 1.15 |
| 46 | Texas profile | $18.61 | $38,720 | $29,970 | $58,240 | 6,700 | 0.48 | 1.01 |
| 47 | West Virginia profile | $18.33 | $38,120 | $31,250 | $52,370 | 350 | 0.50 | 1.05 |
| 48 | Oklahoma profile | $18.24 | $37,940 | $29,530 | $54,310 | 730 | 0.43 | 0.90 |
| 49 | Alabama profile | $17.73 | $36,880 | $31,000 | $47,720 | 880 | 0.42 | 0.88 |
| 50 | Mississippi profile | $17.63 | $36,680 | $28,180 | $47,210 | 560 | 0.48 | 1.01 |
| 51 | Louisiana profile | $17.48 | $36,360 | $28,840 | $46,870 | 720 | 0.37 | 0.79 |
Part of Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 29-2081 Opticians, Dispensing.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 29-2081, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 29-2081.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.