BLS metro-level wage data places Opticians, Dispensing pay in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY at a median of $65,870 per year ($31.67/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $47,260, Watertown-Fort Drum pays +39% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 30 opticians, dispensings are employed across the Watertown-Fort Drum MSA in SOC 29-2081.

The Watertown-Fort Drum pay distribution spans from $45,160 at the 10th percentile to $81,350 at the 90th — a 1.8× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $60,520 and the 75th at $73,230, so half of Watertown-Fort Drum-based opticians, dispensings earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Watertown-Fort Drum, NY covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide NY data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.