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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

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)
73,460 2.0 % $ 21.58 $ 44,890 0.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for Opticians, Dispensing:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 14.20 $ 16.50 $ 19.04 $ 25.00 $ 31.13
Annual Wage (2) $ 29,540 $ 34,310 $ 39,610 $ 52,000 $ 64,760


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 31,710 2.97 $ 19.28 $ 40,090
Health and Personal Care Retailers 16,940 1.55 $ 22.88 $ 47,590
General Merchandise Retailers 14,520 0.45 $ 23.59 $ 49,070
Offices of Physicians 7,840 0.28 $ 21.77 $ 45,270
Outpatient Care Centers 1,480 0.15 $ 33.50 $ 69,670

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 31,710 2.97 $ 19.28 $ 40,090
Health and Personal Care Retailers 16,940 1.55 $ 22.88 $ 47,590
General Merchandise Retailers 14,520 0.45 $ 23.59 $ 49,070
Offices of Physicians 7,840 0.28 $ 21.77 $ 45,270
Outpatient Care Centers 1,480 0.15 $ 33.50 $ 69,670

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 80 (7) $ 34.45 $ 71,650
Outpatient Care Centers 1,480 0.15 $ 33.50 $ 69,670
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 220 (7) $ 26.11 $ 54,300
General Merchandise Retailers 14,520 0.45 $ 23.59 $ 49,070
Health and Personal Care Retailers 16,940 1.55 $ 22.88 $ 47,590


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 2022


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 8,770 0.50 1.00 $ 26.25 $ 54,600
Texas 6,260 0.48 0.97 $ 17.50 $ 36,390
Florida 3,910 0.42 0.85 $ 23.49 $ 48,860
New York 3,590 0.39 0.79 $ 28.51 $ 59,310
Michigan 3,500 0.82 1.66 $ 19.19 $ 39,920


Map of location quotient of opticians, dispensing by state, May 2022


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)
South Dakota 420 0.98 1.96 $ 17.64 $ 36,680
North Dakota 350 0.85 1.72 $ 19.38 $ 40,320
Michigan 3,500 0.82 1.66 $ 19.19 $ 39,920
Minnesota 2,100 0.74 1.50 $ 20.31 $ 42,240
Iowa 1,050 0.69 1.39 $ 18.17 $ 37,790


Map of annual mean wages of opticians, dispensing by state, May 2022


Top paying states for Opticians, Dispensing:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Massachusetts 1,110 0.31 0.63 $ 32.43 $ 67,460
Connecticut 520 0.32 0.65 $ 31.57 $ 65,660
New York 3,590 0.39 0.79 $ 28.51 $ 59,310
Hawaii 110 0.18 0.37 $ 27.48 $ 57,160
Alaska (8) (8) (8) $ 27.27 $ 56,720



Map of employment of opticians, dispensing by area, May 2022


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 3,600 0.39 0.79 $ 28.55 $ 59,380
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 3,150 0.52 1.04 $ 26.18 $ 54,450
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 2,370 0.54 1.08 $ 18.96 $ 39,440
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 1,800 0.96 1.94 $ 20.15 $ 41,910
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,780 0.47 0.94 $ 18.70 $ 38,890
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 1,480 0.49 0.99 $ 25.92 $ 53,910
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 1,470 0.48 0.97 $ 16.50 $ 34,320
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 1,340 0.71 1.43 $ 20.89 $ 43,450
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 1,250 0.56 1.13 $ 22.31 $ 46,400
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 1,160 0.43 0.86 $ 21.45 $ 44,620


Map of location quotient of opticians, dispensing by area, May 2022


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)
Rocky Mount, NC 100 1.80 3.63 $ 18.60 $ 38,690
Muncie, IN 70 1.57 3.16 $ 16.06 $ 33,390
Grand Island, NE 60 1.56 3.14 $ 17.24 $ 35,860
Bismarck, ND 100 1.34 2.69 $ 19.12 $ 39,770
Carbondale-Marion, IL 70 1.32 2.65 $ 17.10 $ 35,570
Grand Forks, ND-MN 60 1.26 2.54 $ 18.47 $ 38,420
St. Cloud, MN 120 1.22 2.46 $ 18.64 $ 38,770
Punta Gorda, FL 60 1.22 2.46 $ 23.39 $ 48,640
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI 170 1.21 2.43 $ 17.46 $ 36,310
Lansing-East Lansing, MI 230 1.16 2.33 $ 18.07 $ 37,590


Map of annual mean wages of opticians, dispensing by area, May 2022


Top paying metropolitan areas for Opticians, Dispensing:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Barnstable Town, MA 50 0.54 1.08 $ 32.41 $ 67,420
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 740 0.27 0.55 $ 32.35 $ 67,280
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 120 0.31 0.62 $ 32.34 $ 67,260
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 190 0.33 0.67 $ 32.27 $ 67,120
Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI 30 0.28 0.56 $ 31.97 $ 66,500
Springfield, MA-CT 130 0.40 0.80 $ 31.27 $ 65,040
New Bedford, MA 30 0.53 1.07 $ 30.88 $ 64,240
Worcester, MA-CT 110 0.38 0.77 $ 30.75 $ 63,960
Waterbury, CT 40 0.60 1.22 $ 30.73 $ 63,930
Trenton, NJ 60 0.26 0.52 $ 29.74 $ 61,860

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Opticians, Dispensing:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 240 0.63 1.27 $ 16.06 $ 33,410
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 180 0.69 1.40 $ 17.36 $ 36,110
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 170 0.81 1.64 $ 17.60 $ 36,600
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 160 0.66 1.34 $ 19.36 $ 40,270
Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 160 0.84 1.68 $ 19.87 $ 41,320

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Opticians, Dispensing:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwest Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 60 1.62 3.26 $ 17.22 $ 35,820
East Georgia nonmetropolitan area 90 1.11 2.23 $ 18.43 $ 38,340
East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 140 1.08 2.18 $ 17.41 $ 36,210
Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 110 0.98 1.97 $ 17.51 $ 36,410
Southwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 90 0.92 1.85 $ 20.13 $ 41,860

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Opticians, Dispensing:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 30 0.49 0.99 $ 33.89 $ 70,480
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 30 0.32 0.64 $ 26.78 $ 55,690
Central East New York nonmetropolitan area 50 0.32 0.64 $ 26.70 $ 55,540
Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area 50 0.34 0.68 $ 25.88 $ 53,830
Nevada nonmetropolitan area 40 0.40 0.81 $ 25.18 $ 52,370


About May 2022 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023