Opticians, Dispensing Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of dispensing opticians to grow 4.2% from 2025 to 2035 (about 3,100 more jobs), with about 5,600 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $47,260 a year ranks 616th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +4.2%
- Openings a year
- 5,600
- Median pay
- $47,260
- Pay rank
- 616th of 825
Is employment of dispensing opticians growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of dispensing opticians to rise 4.2% (about 3,100 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is slower than the +8.0% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 71 healthcare practitioners and technical occupations with a projection. That change ranks 287th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 74,300 |
| Employment, 2035 | 77,400 |
| Projected change | +4.2% |
| Openings a year | 5,600 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 74,300 jobs here differ from the 73,530 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 5,600 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 359th most of 830 occupations. About 94% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 310 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for dispensing opticians rank?
The median of $47,260 a year ranks 616th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on openings and the lower half on pay.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: high school diploma or equivalent.
- Typical on-the-job training: long-term on-the-job training.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optometrists | +9.5% | 2,000 | $136,570 |
| Ophthalmic Medical Technicians | +21.4% | 11,800 | $45,570 |
| Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other | +5.9% | 12,400 | $50,290 |
| Pharmacy Technicians | +6.4% | 44,700 | $45,750 |
| Hearing Aid Specialists | +19.4% | 900 | $65,160 |
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | +4.5% | 200 | $300,080 |
| Orthotists and Prosthetists | +12.9% | 700 | $81,110 |
| Audiologists | +11.0% | 600 | $95,780 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.