Occupation salary profile

Opticians, Dispensing

SOC 29-2081 BLS OEWS May 2025

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 median · BLS
$47,260
▲ +1.5% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$51,770
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
73,530
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Opticians, Dispensing

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$35,610
25th$38,820
Median (50th)$47,260
75th$61,700
90th — top pay$76,750

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Opticians, Dispensing

BLS projects employment of opticians, dispensing to grow 4.2% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 5,600 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
74,300 → 77,400
+3,100 jobs
Projected change
+4.2%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
5,600
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
1.6% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 3)
Medium Preparation Needed. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a high school diploma →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Opticians, Dispensing

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Speaking4.0
  • Active Listening3.9
  • Reading Comprehension3.8
  • Critical Thinking3.5
  • Service Orientation3.5
  • Coordination3.3
  • Persuasion3.3
  • Social Perceptiveness3.3
  • Writing3.3
  • Active Learning3.0
Top knowledge areas
  • Customer and Personal Service4.9
  • Sales and Marketing4.3
  • Mathematics3.9
  • Production and Processing3.8
  • Administrative3.8
  • English Language3.7
  • Administration and Management3.5
  • Education and Training3.4
Software and technology used
Intuit QuickBooksMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft WordCompulink Eyecare AdvantageCygnet Infotech OptifocusDatabase softwareDiversified Ophthalmics Practice MaximusEMRlogic Systems ENTERPRISE VisionsEZ-Zone Optizone EnterpriseFirst Insight MaximEyesHealthLine Systems EyecomInsight Software My Vision ExpressInventory management systemsOfficeMate Software Solutions OfficeMateSpecialist Data Solutions OctoPlus

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What opticians, dispensing do

  • Measure clients' bridge and eye size, temple length, vertex distance, pupillary distance, and optical centers of eyes, using measuring devices.
  • Verify that finished lenses are ground to specifications.
  • Evaluate prescriptions in conjunction with clients' vocational and avocational visual requirements.
  • Recommend specific lenses, lens coatings, and frames to suit client needs.
  • Assist clients in selecting frames according to style and color, and ensure that frames are coordinated with facial and eye measurements and optical prescriptions.
  • Maintain records of customer prescriptions, work orders, and payments.
  • Heat, shape, or bend plastic or metal frames to adjust eyeglasses to fit clients, using pliers and hands.
  • Show customers how to insert, remove, and care for their contact lenses.
Also called
Dispensing OpticianLicensed Dispensing Optician (LDO)Licensed OpticianOpticianCertified OpticianContact Lens TechnicianOphthalmic DispenserOptical TechnicianOptometric TechnicianRegistered Optician
More job titles for this occupation (8)
Contact Lens FitterDispensing and Measuring OpticianEyecare AdvisorEyeglass FitterEyewear SpecialistLicensed Optical DispenserOptical DispenserOptical Sales Associate

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.