Opticians, Dispensing
Opticians, Dispensing is a dynamic career path with diverse opportunities. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only. The field combines competitive compensation with strong employment opportunities, making it an attractive career path.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Opticians, Dispensing workforce.
Employment Over Time
8,180 Workforce in 2023
The Opticians, Dispensing workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Opticians, Dispensing.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$60,603 Average Wage
In 2023, Opticians, Dispensing earned an average of $60,603.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Opticians, Dispensing.
Salary distribution for Opticians, Dispensing.
Employment Growth Projections
1.7% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
35,492 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 8.8%
38,617 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 18.4%
This occupation is projected to grow at 1.7% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Opticians, Dispensing.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Opticians, Dispensing and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Opticians, Dispensing employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Opticians, Dispensing.
Wage Trends by Industry
-8.1% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Opticians, Dispensing.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Opticians, Dispensing.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 7,770 employees, $60,789 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Opticians, Dispensing.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 2,160 employees, $60,861 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 1,010 employees, $57,763 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 930 employees, $59,504 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 680 employees, $60,552 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 580 employees, $61,672 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 510 employees, $67,628 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 330 employees, $68,831 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 320 employees, $65,459 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 200 employees, $55,231 avg wage
- Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 150 employees, $53,187 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Opticians, Dispensing.
Diversity
Demographic information on Opticians, Dispensing in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Opticians, Dispensing in 2023 was 8,180 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Opticians, Dispensing.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Opticians, Dispensing.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Opticians, Dispensing.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Opticians, Dispensing in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Opticians, Dispensing.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Opticians, Dispensing workers.
Education level distribution for Opticians, Dispensing.
Skills
Opticians, Dispensing need many skills, but most especially Speaking, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Service Orientation.
Required skills for Opticians, Dispensing.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Opticians, Dispensing.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Opticians, Dispensing include Customer and Personal Service, Sales and Marketing, Mathematics, Production and Processing, Administrative.
Knowledge areas required for Opticians, Dispensing.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Opticians, Dispensing include Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension, Near Vision, Written Comprehension, Speech Recognition.
Required abilities for Opticians, Dispensing.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Opticians, Dispensing.
Daily Activities
Opticians, Dispensing spend their time on activities such as Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Documenting/Recording Information, Selling or Influencing Others, Getting Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems.
Most important work activities for Opticians, Dispensing.
About
Opticians, Dispensing
The average yearly wage for Opticians, Dispensing was $60,603 in 2023.
SOC Code
29-2081 - Opticians, Dispensing
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Opticians, Dispensing reports an average salary of $60,603.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 8,180 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 1.7%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.