Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018

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 this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
72,250 2.2 % $19.20 $39,930 1.0 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $11.86 $14.03 $17.80 $23.15 $28.86
Annual Wage (2) $24,670 $29,190 $37,010 $48,160 $60,030

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 30,120 3.31 $18.03 $37,510
Health and Personal Care Stores 22,100 2.07 $19.77 $41,120
Offices of Physicians 7,780 0.30 $20.09 $41,780
Outpatient Care Centers 1,120 0.12 $23.84 $49,590
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 300 0.01 $20.75 $43,150

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 30,120 3.31 $18.03 $37,510
Health and Personal Care Stores 22,100 2.07 $19.77 $41,120
Offices of Physicians 7,780 0.30 $20.09 $41,780
Outpatient Care Centers 1,120 0.12 $23.84 $49,590
Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing 220 0.07 $29.53 $61,420

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing 220 0.07 $29.53 $61,420
Management of Companies and Enterprises 40 (7) $29.17 $60,660
Employment Services 240 0.01 $25.36 $52,750
Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 190 0.03 $24.51 $50,980
Outpatient Care Centers 1,120 0.12 $23.84 $49,590

Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 6,920 0.41 0.81 $20.56 $42,760
Texas 6,300 0.52 1.04 $16.68 $34,690
Florida 4,510 0.52 1.05 $19.37 $40,290
Michigan 3,580 0.83 1.66 $17.26 $35,910
New York 3,240 0.35 0.69 $26.31 $54,730




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
South Dakota 520 1.23 2.46 $14.66 $30,490
North Dakota 440 1.05 2.10 $16.30 $33,900
Wyoming 260 0.96 1.92 $14.83 $30,840
Delaware 420 0.95 1.90 $17.68 $36,770
New Hampshire 550 0.84 1.68 $19.97 $41,540




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Massachusetts 1,680 0.47 0.94 $28.96 $60,240
New Jersey 1,750 0.43 0.87 $27.30 $56,780
New York 3,240 0.35 0.69 $26.31 $54,730
Connecticut 620 0.37 0.74 $25.47 $52,980
Virginia 1,630 0.42 0.85 $22.45 $46,700





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

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 3,420 0.36 0.72 $27.03 $56,220
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,740 0.45 0.90 $20.55 $42,740
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 2,040 0.44 0.88 $18.56 $38,600
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,970 0.55 1.11 $18.71 $38,920
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 1,850 0.62 1.24 $16.57 $34,470
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 1,640 0.83 1.67 $17.61 $36,630
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 1,590 0.51 1.02 $23.55 $48,990
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 1,510 0.58 1.17 $18.09 $37,630
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 1,350 0.69 1.38 $20.12 $41,840
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,320 0.48 0.96 $30.21 $62,840