Opticians, Dispensing Wages
SOC 29-2081 • Full occupation profile
The median annual wage for Opticians, Dispensing is $44,170 nationally (2023 BLS OEWS). The 10th percentile is $31,560 and the 90th percentile is $69,900, showing the wide spread of wages in this occupation.
National Wage Distribution (2023)
Employment
76,770
P10
$31,560
P25
$36,380
Median
$44,170
P75
$57,490
P90
$69,900
National Wage Trend
How national median and mean wages for Opticians, Dispensing have moved across BLS OEWS release years.
| Year | Median | Mean | P10 | P90 | Employment | YoY Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $44,170 | $47,560 | $31,560 | $69,900 | 76,770 | — |
| 2022 | $39,610 | $44,890 | $29,540 | $64,760 | 73,460 | -10.32% |
| 2021 | $37,570 | $43,060 | $28,910 | $60,280 | 73,270 | -5.15% |
| 2020 | $38,530 | $41,380 | $26,080 | $62,180 | 68,180 | +2.56% |
Wages by State (2023)
State-level OEWS wage estimates for Opticians, Dispensing. The highest median is in Connecticut at $66,730, 51% above the U.S. median.
| Area | Median Annual | vs National | Mean Annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | $66,730 | +51.1% | $64,220 | 570 |
| Massachusetts | $63,850 | +44.6% | $66,330 | 1,270 |
| New Jersey | $61,770 | +39.8% | $61,350 | 2,170 |
| New York | $61,280 | +38.7% | $59,680 | 3,830 |
| District of Columbia | $60,560 | +37.1% | $58,550 | 120 |
| California | $56,610 | +28.2% | $59,960 | 8,100 |
| Virginia | $55,640 | +26% | $55,030 | 2,280 |
| Alaska | $54,080 | +22.4% | $53,880 | 140 |
| Vermont | $51,590 | +16.8% | $56,430 | 100 |
| Florida | $49,620 | +12.3% | $52,160 | 5,260 |
| Hawaii | $49,570 | +12.2% | $52,710 | 150 |
| New Hampshire | $47,840 | +8.3% | $48,610 | 360 |
| South Carolina | $47,710 | +8% | $48,390 | 860 |
| North Carolina | $47,540 | +7.6% | $51,870 | 1,640 |
| Washington | $47,050 | +6.5% | $51,400 | 1,880 |
| Oregon | $47,010 | +6.4% | $50,440 | 840 |
| Ohio | $46,890 | +6.2% | $46,600 | 3,280 |
| Nevada | $45,760 | +3.6% | $52,900 | 1,170 |
| Minnesota | $45,350 | +2.7% | $44,810 | 1,640 |
| Maine | $45,060 | +2% | $46,420 | 280 |
| Montana | $44,740 | +1.3% | $44,380 | 330 |
| Rhode Island | $44,560 | +0.9% | $48,740 | 200 |
| Colorado | $44,390 | +0.5% | $46,020 | 1,330 |
| Maryland | $43,820 | -0.8% | $44,770 | 1,290 |
| Arkansas | $43,680 | -1.1% | $44,910 | 730 |
| Tennessee | $43,620 | -1.2% | $46,270 | 1,440 |
| Arizona | $43,570 | -1.4% | $46,770 | 1,700 |
| Kentucky | $40,560 | -8.2% | $43,960 | 1,020 |
| Georgia | $40,260 | -8.9% | $45,410 | 2,280 |
| North Dakota | $38,630 | -12.5% | $42,000 | 360 |
| Michigan | $38,490 | -12.9% | $42,710 | 3,120 |
| Wisconsin | $38,330 | -13.2% | $42,390 | 1,310 |
| Iowa | $38,310 | -13.3% | $40,610 | 1,080 |
| Pennsylvania | $38,230 | -13.4% | $42,060 | 2,560 |
| Nebraska | $37,840 | -14.3% | $39,340 | 600 |
| Utah | $37,590 | -14.9% | $42,820 | 650 |
| Idaho | $37,440 | -15.2% | $40,340 | 460 |
| Illinois | $37,430 | -15.3% | $41,240 | 3,880 |
| Delaware | $37,420 | -15.3% | $38,840 | 340 |
| South Dakota | $37,220 | -15.7% | $39,690 | 420 |
| Indiana | $36,780 | -16.7% | $38,120 | 2,170 |
| Wyoming | $36,630 | -17.1% | $38,480 | 170 |
| New Mexico | $36,420 | -17.5% | $38,750 | 390 |
| Kansas | $36,190 | -18.1% | $37,980 | 760 |
| West Virginia | $36,190 | -18.1% | $37,810 | 350 |
| Texas | $36,140 | -18.2% | $37,890 | 6,720 |
| Missouri | $35,350 | -20% | $38,510 | 1,450 |
| Louisiana | $34,120 | -22.8% | $36,870 | 960 |
| Oklahoma | $33,380 | -24.4% | $34,820 | 790 |
| Mississippi | $31,300 | -29.1% | $32,780 | 710 |
| Alabama | $31,000 | -29.8% | $32,870 | 1,270 |