Opticians, Dispensing Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for opticians, dispensing in the U.S. is $47,260 ($22.72 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $47,260
- Mean annual wage
- $51,770
- Median hourly wage
- $22.72
- Employment
- 73,530
73,530 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,610 | $17.12 |
| 25th percentile | $38,820 | $18.66 |
| Median (50th) | $47,260 | $22.72 |
| 75th percentile | $61,700 | $29.66 |
| 90th percentile | $76,750 | $36.90 |
Highest-paying states for opticians, dispensing
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | $75,300 | 610 |
| Hawaii | $75,300 | 110 |
| New Jersey | $72,460 | 2,010 |
| Massachusetts | $67,210 | 1,360 |
| New York | $63,880 | 3,520 |
| District of Columbia | $61,310 | 80 |
| Florida | $58,850 | 5,080 |
| Alaska | $58,250 | 90 |
| California | $57,990 | 7,840 |
| Vermont | $57,350 | 70 |
Lowest-paying states
- Louisiana: $36,360 median annual wage
- Mississippi: $36,680 median annual wage
- Alabama: $36,880 median annual wage
- Oklahoma: $37,940 median annual wage
- West Virginia: $38,120 median annual wage
About this occupation
Design, measure, fit, and adapt lenses and frames for client according to written optical prescription or specification. Assist client with inserting, removing, and caring for contact lenses. Assist client with selecting frames. Measure customer for size of eyeglasses and coordinate frames with facial and eye measurements and optical prescription. Prepare work order for optical laboratory containing instructions for grinding and mounting lenses in frames. Verify exactness of finished lens spectacles. Adjust frame and lens position to fit client. May shape or reshape frames. Includes contact lens opticians.
Typical tasks
- Heat, shape, or bend plastic or metal frames to adjust eyeglasses to fit clients, using pliers and hands.
- Verify that finished lenses are ground to specifications.
- Maintain records of customer prescriptions, work orders, and payments.
- Perform administrative duties, such as tracking inventory and sales, submitting patient insurance information, and performing simple bookkeeping.
- Grind lens edges, or apply coatings to lenses.
- Instruct clients in how to wear and care for eyeglasses.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 2.5% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 25.9% |
| Some college, no degree | 30.6% |
| Associate's degree | 18.1% |
| Bachelor's degree | 19.3% |
| Master's degree | 2.5% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 1.1% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
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About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.