Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS May 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q1 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$36K
P25$39K
P50$47K
P75$62K
P90$77K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
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Demand: HOT. Demand is hot -- health care job openings are running at 5.6% (JOLTS, May 2026), a tight market. Candidates have leverage, so a competitive offer sits at or above the median; below-median offers often will not close.
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Merit budget: Wages in health care are rising about 4% a year (BLS ECI, Q1 2026). Budget a 3.6-4.1% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Bottom line
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $47,258 to $61,693 (market median to the 75th percentile). Lean toward the top of the range for senior or hard-to-fill roles.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Opticians, Dispensing is $47,258 per year ($22.72/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $38,813 and $61,693 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $76,752 per year. There are approximately 73,530 opticians, dispensing employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+2.9%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
7K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
80K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
3% from new growth97% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Offices of Other Health Practitioners
NAICS 621300
32K
$45,320
General Merchandise Retailers
NAICS 455000
18K
$60,000
Health and Personal Care Retailers
NAICS 456100
15K
$47,460
Offices of Physicians
NAICS 621100
6K
$48,590
Outpatient Care Centers
NAICS 621400
2K
$79,980
Wage range across top 5 industries: $45,320 to $79,980 (76% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$17.12
$35,610
P25
$18.66
$38,813
P50MEDIAN
$22.72
$47,258
P75
$29.66
$61,693
P90
$36.90
$76,752
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · health sector
Hot
Openings Rate
5.6%
Quits Rate
1.7%
Health Care & Social Assistance openings eased to 1.42M (-115K) in May, rate 5.6%, but the sector stays structurally tight. Quits edged down to 1.7%; compensation pressure persists for clinical roles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average opticians, dispensing salary?
The national median salary for Opticians, Dispensing is $47,258 per year ($22.72/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $38,813 and $61,693 annually.
How much do top-earning opticians, dispensing make?
The 90th percentile salary for Opticians, Dispensing is $76,752 per year ($36.90/hr). The 75th percentile is $61,693 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for opticians, dispensing?
Entry-level Opticians, Dispensing (10th percentile) earn approximately $35,610 per year ($17.12/hr). The 25th percentile is $38,813 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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