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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
29-2081 Opticians, Dispensing
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.
National estimates for Opticians, Dispensing
Industry profile for Opticians, Dispensing
Geographic profile for Opticians, Dispensing
National estimates for Opticians, Dispensing:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Opticians, Dispensing:
Employment (1) |
Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
73,270 |
1.9 % |
$ 20.70 |
$ 43,060 |
1.2 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Opticians, Dispensing:
Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50% (Median) |
75% |
90% |
Hourly Wage |
$ 13.90 |
$ 14.57 |
$ 18.06 |
$ 22.91 |
$ 28.98 |
Annual Wage (2) |
$ 28,910 |
$ 30,310 |
$ 37,570 |
$ 47,660 |
$ 60,280 |
Industry profile for Opticians, Dispensing:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Opticians, Dispensing are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Opticians, Dispensing, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Opticians, Dispensing:
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Opticians, Dispensing:
Top paying industries for Opticians, Dispensing:
Geographic profile for Opticians, Dispensing:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Opticians, Dispensing are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Opticians, Dispensing, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Opticians, Dispensing:
State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
California |
8,830 |
0.53 |
1.03 |
$ 25.69 |
$ 53,440 |
Texas |
5,060 |
0.41 |
0.80 |
$ 16.37 |
$ 34,040 |
Florida |
4,010 |
0.47 |
0.90 |
$ 20.83 |
$ 43,330 |
Michigan |
3,840 |
0.95 |
1.82 |
$ 18.44 |
$ 38,360 |
New York |
3,810 |
0.44 |
0.85 |
$ 27.23 |
$ 56,640 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Opticians, Dispensing:
State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
North Dakota |
500 |
1.27 |
2.43 |
$ 18.53 |
$ 38,540 |
South Dakota |
410 |
0.98 |
1.89 |
$ 16.58 |
$ 34,480 |
Michigan |
3,840 |
0.95 |
1.82 |
$ 18.44 |
$ 38,360 |
New Mexico |
700 |
0.90 |
1.74 |
$ 18.05 |
$ 37,540 |
Utah |
1,260 |
0.81 |
1.56 |
$ 16.10 |
$ 33,490 |
Top paying states for Opticians, Dispensing:
State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
Connecticut |
460 |
0.29 |
0.56 |
$ 31.99 |
$ 66,540 |
New Jersey |
1,290 |
0.34 |
0.65 |
$ 29.95 |
$ 62,300 |
Massachusetts |
1,240 |
0.36 |
0.70 |
$ 28.77 |
$ 59,840 |
New York |
3,810 |
0.44 |
0.85 |
$ 27.23 |
$ 56,640 |
Alaska |
40 |
0.13 |
0.26 |
$ 26.87 |
$ 55,900 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Opticians, Dispensing:
Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
3,150 |
0.36 |
0.70 |
$ 29.56 |
$ 61,480 |
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
2,730 |
0.48 |
0.92 |
$ 26.16 |
$ 54,420 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
2,590 |
0.61 |
1.18 |
$ 18.31 |
$ 38,090 |
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI |
1,990 |
1.10 |
2.12 |
$ 19.26 |
$ 40,060 |
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
1,410 |
0.39 |
0.76 |
$ 17.03 |
$ 35,410 |
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
1,210 |
0.41 |
0.79 |
$ 24.22 |
$ 50,380 |
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
1,190 |
0.45 |
0.86 |
$ 20.12 |
$ 41,850 |
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
1,130 |
0.50 |
0.97 |
$ 28.36 |
$ 58,980 |
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA |
1,090 |
0.71 |
1.37 |
$ 23.86 |
$ 49,620 |
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
1,060 |
0.37 |
0.70 |
$ 16.08 |
$ 33,440 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Opticians, Dispensing:
Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
St. George, UT |
130 |
1.77 |
3.40 |
$ 16.20 |
$ 33,690 |
Grand Forks, ND-MN |
80 |
1.72 |
3.31 |
$ 18.19 |
$ 37,840 |
Carbondale-Marion, IL |
80 |
1.64 |
3.15 |
$ 15.57 |
$ 32,390 |
Bismarck, ND |
110 |
1.62 |
3.11 |
$ 18.96 |
$ 39,430 |
Farmington, NM |
60 |
1.57 |
3.01 |
$ 17.37 |
$ 36,120 |
Muncie, IN |
70 |
1.50 |
2.89 |
$ 15.40 |
$ 32,020 |
Rocky Mount, NC |
80 |
1.47 |
2.83 |
$ 18.23 |
$ 37,910 |
Grand Island, NE |
60 |
1.45 |
2.78 |
$ 15.33 |
$ 31,890 |
Bloomington, IL |
120 |
1.42 |
2.72 |
$ 15.59 |
$ 32,430 |
Flint, MI |
170 |
1.37 |
2.64 |
$ 18.16 |
$ 37,770 |
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