occupation · 29-2081 · detailed
Opticians, Dispensing — wages and employment
Opticians, Dispensing earned a median annual wage of $46,560 in the United States in May 2024, with 79,690 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Opticians, Dispensing earned a median annual wage of $46,560 in the United States in May 2024, with 79,690 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $34,470 or less, the best-paid tenth $73,240 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $44,170 to $46,560, +5.4 %. The best-paying state is New Jersey at $66,250; the lowest Puerto Rico at $28,690. Among metropolitan areas, Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT pays the highest median, $72,750. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 79,690 | $46,560 | $49,970 | $34,470 | $37,900 | $59,680 | $73,240 | $22.38 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 76,770 | $44,170 | $47,560 | $31,560 | $36,380 | $57,490 | $69,900 | $21.23 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $66,250 | 2,260 |
| Connecticut | $64,780 | 580 |
| Massachusetts | $63,810 | 1,430 |
| New York | $60,100 | 5,180 |
| District of Columbia | $59,110 | 60 |
| California | $57,770 | 8,180 |
| Vermont | $57,500 | 90 |
| Florida | $56,920 | 5,030 |
| Alaska | $56,260 | 90 |
| Hawaii | $56,090 | 160 |
| Virginia | $54,320 | 2,500 |
| Rhode Island | $50,380 | 280 |
| North Carolina | $49,570 | 1,890 |
| Oregon | $49,550 | 1,090 |
| New Hampshire | $49,400 | 500 |
| Minnesota | $49,020 | 1,630 |
| Washington | $48,320 | 2,000 |
| Ohio | $48,080 | 3,190 |
| Tennessee | $47,850 | 1,640 |
| Maryland | $47,710 | 1,170 |
| Nevada | $47,600 | 1,440 |
| South Carolina | $46,830 | 870 |
| Arizona | $46,520 | 1,670 |
| Maine | $46,310 | 310 |
| Colorado | $45,900 | 1,510 |
| Georgia | $45,640 | 2,580 |
| Arkansas | $45,440 | 660 |
| Montana | $44,600 | 310 |
| Kentucky | $44,530 | 980 |
| Pennsylvania | $44,010 | 2,750 |
| Wisconsin | $43,320 | 1,530 |
| Iowa | $41,810 | 1,000 |
| North Dakota | $41,400 | 300 |
| Illinois | $41,230 | 3,660 |
| South Dakota | $41,020 | 420 |
| Delaware | $40,400 | 280 |
| Michigan | $39,870 | 3,220 |
| Utah | $39,760 | 680 |
| Idaho | $39,670 | 570 |
| Nebraska | $38,850 | 670 |
| West Virginia | $38,480 | 400 |
| Kansas | $37,890 | 810 |
| Wyoming | $37,870 | 160 |
| Indiana | $37,740 | 1,900 |
| Missouri | $36,960 | 1,610 |
| New Mexico | $36,910 | 350 |
| Texas | $36,400 | 7,100 |
| Oklahoma | $36,150 | 700 |
| Alabama | $35,570 | 920 |
| Mississippi | $35,530 | 560 |
| Louisiana | $34,910 | 880 |
| Puerto Rico | $28,690 | 1,070 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $72,750 | 140 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | $68,790 | 60 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $66,880 | 60 |
| New Haven, CT | $64,990 | 80 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $64,940 | 70 |
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | $64,710 | 70 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $64,580 | 210 |
| Worcester, MA | $64,520 | 190 |
| Vallejo, CA | $64,400 | 90 |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $63,940 | 40 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $63,830 | 90 |
| Springfield, MA | $63,420 | 70 |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $63,170 | 70 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $62,780 | 5,170 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $62,570 | 990 |
| Syracuse, NY | $62,400 | 170 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $62,250 | 140 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $62,130 | 210 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $62,070 | 1,090 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $61,940 | 330 |
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