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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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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:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 29,470 3.03 $ 18.68 $ 38,860
Health and Personal Care Stores 18,110 1.79 $ 22.20 $ 46,180
General Merchandise Stores 14,040 0.46 $ 21.76 $ 45,260
Offices of Physicians 9,250 0.34 $ 20.83 $ 43,320
Outpatient Care Centers 1,380 0.14 (8) (8)

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Opticians, Dispensing:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 29,470 3.03 $ 18.68 $ 38,860
Health and Personal Care Stores 18,110 1.79 $ 22.20 $ 46,180
General Merchandise Stores 14,040 0.46 $ 21.76 $ 45,260
Offices of Physicians 9,250 0.34 $ 20.83 $ 43,320
Outpatient Care Centers 1,380 0.14 (8) (8)

Top paying industries for Opticians, Dispensing:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Management of Companies and Enterprises (8) (8) $ 25.39 $ 52,820
Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 110 0.02 $ 24.18 $ 50,280
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 240 (7) $ 23.78 $ 49,460
Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing 60 0.02 $ 22.43 $ 46,660
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 260 0.01 $ 22.41 $ 46,610

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.



Map of employment of opticians, dispensing by state, May 2021


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


Map of location quotient of opticians, dispensing by state, May 2021


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


Map of annual mean wages of opticians, dispensing by state, May 2021


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



Map of employment of opticians, dispensing by area, May 2021


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


Map of location quotient of opticians, dispensing by area, May 2021


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