Opticians, Dispensing Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for opticians, dispensings across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- New Jersey$69,680
- Connecticut$69,290
- Massachusetts$67,520
- Hawaii$67,390
- New York$64,830
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$37,590
- Louisiana$37,840
- Alabama$38,710
- West Virginia$40,470
- Oklahoma$40,500
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $69,680 | $72,460 | $34 | +34.6% | 2,010 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $69,290 | $75,300 | $33 | +33.8% | 610 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $67,520 | $67,210 | $32 | +30.4% | 1,360 |
| 4 | Hawaii | $67,390 | $75,300 | $32 | +30.2% | 110 |
| 5 | New York | $64,830 | $63,880 | $31 | +25.2% | 3,520 |
| 6 | Vermont | $62,790 | $57,350 | $30 | +21.3% | 70 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $61,790 | $61,310 | $30 | +19.4% | 80 |
| 8 | California | $61,070 | $57,990 | $29 | +18% | 7,840 |
| 9 | Alaska | $57,900 | $58,250 | $28 | +11.8% | 90 |
| 10 | Nevada | $56,700 | $46,910 | $27 | +9.5% | 960 |
| 11 | Florida | $56,560 | $58,850 | $27 | +9.3% | 5,080 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $55,810 | $50,190 | $27 | +7.8% | 2,020 |
| 13 | Virginia | $55,110 | $55,820 | $27 | +6.5% | 1,860 |
| 14 | Washington | $55,010 | $49,220 | $26 | +6.3% | 2,100 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $54,140 | $47,400 | $26 | +4.6% | 350 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $54,080 | $51,980 | $26 | +4.5% | 440 |
| 17 | Georgia | $53,570 | $48,010 | $26 | +3.5% | 2,290 |
| 18 | Oregon | $53,510 | $49,210 | $26 | +3.4% | 1,000 |
| 19 | Arizona | $53,070 | $48,210 | $26 | +2.5% | 1,400 |
| 20 | Tennessee | $51,920 | $49,840 | $25 | +0.3% | 1,530 |
| 21 | Maryland | $51,270 | $48,700 | $25 | -1% | 1,060 |
| 22 | Colorado | $51,210 | $47,310 | $25 | -1.1% | 1,520 |
| 23 | Ohio | $51,200 | $50,500 | $25 | -1.1% | 2,960 |
| 24 | South Carolina | $51,010 | $48,000 | $25 | -1.5% | 890 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $50,370 | $48,020 | $24 | -2.7% | 1,490 |
| 26 | Idaho | $49,950 | $43,950 | $24 | -3.5% | 530 |
| 27 | Montana | $49,220 | $47,050 | $24 | -4.9% | 330 |
| 28 | Maine | $48,080 | $47,220 | $23 | -7.1% | 350 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $47,910 | $42,880 | $23 | -7.5% | 690 |
| 30 | Kentucky | $47,050 | $44,290 | $23 | -9.1% | 950 |
| 31 | Utah | $47,020 | $41,780 | $23 | -9.2% | 700 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $46,330 | $45,450 | $22 | -10.5% | 2,230 |
| 33 | Delaware | $46,190 | $46,220 | $22 | -10.8% | 270 |
| 34 | Illinois | $46,020 | $43,960 | $22 | -11.1% | 3,250 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $46,000 | $44,820 | $22 | -11.1% | 1,430 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $45,640 | $45,230 | $22 | -11.8% | 230 |
| 37 | Iowa | $44,570 | $44,480 | $21 | -13.9% | 920 |
| 38 | Missouri | $43,900 | $38,750 | $21 | -15.2% | 1,600 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $43,750 | $39,090 | $21 | -15.5% | 340 |
| 40 | Michigan | $43,530 | $41,180 | $21 | -15.9% | 3,080 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $42,810 | $39,830 | $21 | -17.3% | 870 |
| 42 | Kansas | $42,660 | $40,140 | $21 | -17.6% | 630 |
| 43 | Texas | $42,650 | $38,720 | $21 | -17.6% | 6,700 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $42,560 | $43,400 | $20 | -17.8% | 430 |
| 45 | Indiana | $41,390 | $39,370 | $20 | -20.1% | 2,010 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $41,050 | $39,100 | $20 | -20.7% | 130 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $40,500 | $37,940 | $19 | -21.8% | 730 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $40,470 | $38,120 | $19 | -21.8% | 350 |
| 49 | Alabama | $38,710 | $36,880 | $19 | -25.2% | 880 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $37,840 | $36,360 | $18 | -26.9% | 720 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $37,590 | $36,680 | $18 | -27.4% | 560 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 421 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vallejo, CA | $78,830 | $69,690 | 90 |
| 2 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $78,600 | $74,410 | 130 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $77,460 | $70,420 | 120 |
| 4 | Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $76,820 | $70,540 | 70 |
| 5 | Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | $76,170 | $72,040 | 60 |
| 6 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $75,300 | $67,740 | 90 |
| 7 | New Haven, CT | $72,410 | $68,050 | 100 |
| 8 | Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $72,290 | $66,420 | 70 |
| 9 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $71,440 | $66,330 | 220 |
| 10 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $71,050 | $67,940 | 3,460 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing opticians, dispensings (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Outpatient Care Centers | $79,980 | $79,800 | 1,760 |
| 2 | Hospitals, State Government Owned | $64,590 | $66,100 | 40 |
| 3 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, State Government Owned | $64,590 | $66,100 | 40 |
| 4 | General Merchandise Retailers | $60,000 | $59,000 | 17,520 |
| 5 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $59,640 | $60,940 | 280 |
| 6 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, Privately Owned | $58,310 | $60,490 | 230 |
| 7 | Hospitals | $57,380 | $59,720 | 300 |
| 8 | Hospitals, Privately Owned | $56,160 | $59,090 | 260 |
| 9 | State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $55,390 | $58,720 | 90 |
| 10 | Sectors 44 and 45 - Retail Trade | $51,530 | $56,010 | 32,950 |
| 11 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | $51,150 | $64,770 | — |
| 12 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | $51,150 | $64,770 | — |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do opticians, dispensing make in the U.S.?
The median opticians, dispensing salary in the United States is $47,260 per year (mean $51,770), and about 80% earn between $35,610 and $76,750.
How much do opticians, dispensing make per hour?
Roughly $25 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $51,770 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays opticians, dispensing the most?
New Jersey has the highest average pay for opticians, dispensing at $69,680 per year (median $72,460).
What is the job outlook for opticians, dispensing?
Employment is projected to change +2.9% from 2024 to 2034 (About as fast as average), with about 6,800 openings per year.