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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

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




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

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Victoria, TX 80 2.06 4.12 $14.73 $30,640
Casper, WY 70 1.96 3.92 $15.93 $33,140
Rapid City, SD 110 1.72 3.44 $14.24 $29,620
Pueblo, CO 100 1.61 3.23 $15.84 $32,950
Flint, MI 220 1.61 3.22 $15.75 $32,760
Fort Wayne, IN 320 1.47 2.94 $14.53 $30,230
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI 200 1.42 2.85 $17.23 $35,830
Wenatchee, WA 70 1.39 2.79 $25.17 $52,360
Walla Walla, WA 40 1.38 2.77 $19.75 $41,090
Punta Gorda, FL 60 1.38 2.76 $20.67 $43,000




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,320 0.48 0.96 $30.21 $62,840
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 180 0.40 0.80 $29.90 $62,200
Danbury, CT 60 0.79 1.58 $29.56 $61,490
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 140 0.34 0.68 $28.02 $58,290
Leominster-Gardner, MA 30 0.63 1.25 $27.78 $57,780
Trenton, NJ 60 0.26 0.53 $27.58 $57,370
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 3,420 0.36 0.72 $27.03 $56,220
New Haven, CT (8) (8) (8) $26.32 $54,750
Jacksonville, FL 190 0.27 0.54 $25.94 $53,950
Utica-Rome, NY 80 0.67 1.34 $25.78 $53,620

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 260 1.36 2.72 $18.15 $37,740
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 240 0.90 1.80 $17.21 $35,790
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 240 0.60 1.20 $14.50 $30,150
North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) 230 0.69 1.38 $18.10 $37,650
Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 210 1.03 2.05 $14.83 $30,840

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

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 180 1.84 3.69 $20.35 $42,330
Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 260 1.36 2.72 $18.15 $37,740
Northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 150 1.22 2.45 $16.69 $34,710
Northeast Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 90 1.20 2.41 $13.08 $27,210
East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 160 1.19 2.38 $14.76 $30,710

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area 70 0.37 0.75 $26.51 $55,130
Central East New York nonmetropolitan area 70 0.42 0.85 $25.28 $52,590
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 30 0.54 1.08 $24.38 $50,700
East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 70 0.67 1.35 $21.95 $45,660
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 110 0.43 0.85 $21.47 $44,660


About May 2018 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 OES estimates and related information:

May 2018 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 29, 2019