Opticians, Dispensing Salary
Opticians, Dispensings in Bend, OR make a median of $54,750 a year, or about $26.32 an hour. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $100K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.61), that's roughly $52,842 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,784/month, about 49.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $55K actually covers in Bend, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Bend’s Regional Price Parity (103.61). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About opticians, dispensings
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Bend
Bend sits well above the national pay line for opticians, dispensing, local pay runs about 16% higher than the U.S. median of $47K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,784/month, which is 51.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.61) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for opticians, dispensings in metros near Bend, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $50K | $47K |
| Eugene-Springfield | $46K | $46K |
| Salem | $48K | $46K |
| Medford | $46K | $45K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Bend, OR
Entry-level opticians, dispensings (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $55K. Top earners bring in $100K or more, a $55K spread from bottom to top.
Opticians, Dispensing pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Opticians, Dispensing salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | $75K | +59% | 610 |
| Hawaii | $75K | +59% | 110 |
| New Jersey | $72K | +53% | 2,010 |
| Massachusetts | $67K | +42% | 1,360 |
| New York | $64K | +35% | 3,520 |
| District of Columbia | $61K | +30% | 80 |
| Florida | $59K | +25% | 5,080 |
| Alaska | $58K | +23% | 90 |
| California | $58K | +23% | 7,840 |
| Vermont | $57K | +21% | 70 |
| Virginia | $56K | +18% | 1,860 |
| New Hampshire | $52K | +10% | 440 |
| Ohio | $51K | +7% | 2,960 |
| North Carolina | $50K | +6% | 2,020 |
| Tennessee | $50K | +5% | 1,530 |
| Washington | $49K | +4% | 2,100 |
| Oregon | $49K | +4% | 1,000 |
| Maryland | $49K | +3% | 1,060 |
| Arizona | $48K | +2% | 1,400 |
| Minnesota | $48K | +2% | 1,490 |
| Georgia | $48K | +2% | 2,290 |
| South Carolina | $48K | +2% | 890 |
| Rhode Island | $47K | +0% | 350 |
| Colorado | $47K | +0% | 1,520 |
| Maine | $47K | -0% | 350 |
| Montana | $47K | -0% | 330 |
| Nevada | $47K | -1% | 960 |
| Delaware | $46K | -2% | 270 |
| Pennsylvania | $45K | -4% | 2,230 |
| North Dakota | $45K | -4% | 230 |
| Wisconsin | $45K | -5% | 1,430 |
| Iowa | $44K | -6% | 920 |
| Kentucky | $44K | -6% | 950 |
| Illinois | $44K | -7% | 3,250 |
| Idaho | $44K | -7% | 530 |
| South Dakota | $43K | -8% | 430 |
| Arkansas | $43K | -9% | 690 |
| Utah | $42K | -12% | 700 |
| Michigan | $41K | -13% | 3,080 |
| Kansas | $40K | -15% | 630 |
| Nebraska | $40K | -16% | 870 |
| Indiana | $39K | -17% | 2,010 |
| Wyoming | $39K | -17% | 130 |
| New Mexico | $39K | -17% | 340 |
| Missouri | $39K | -18% | 1,600 |
| Texas | $39K | -18% | 6,700 |
| West Virginia | $38K | -19% | 350 |
| Oklahoma | $38K | -20% | 730 |
| Alabama | $37K | -22% | 880 |
| Mississippi | $37K | -22% | 560 |
| Louisiana | $36K | -23% | 720 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track opticians, dispensing salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Bend numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a opticians, dispensing afford a 2BR apartment alone in Bend?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 51.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,784/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for opticians, dispensings in Bend?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new opticians, dispensings typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,891/month. At HUD’s $1,784/month FMR, rent would take 62% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is opticians, dispensing a high-paying job in Bend?
Local pay is 16% above the national median — $55K here vs. $47K nationally.
How does Bend compare to the national average for opticians, dispensings?
Bend pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s +16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.61), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do opticians, dispensings make in Bend, OR?
The median is $54,750 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $44,880, and experienced opticians, dispensings can clear $100,230. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $55K enough to live in Bend?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,480/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,784/month, which eats 51.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a opticians, dispensing salary go in Bend?
Bend has a Regional Price Parity of 103.61 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median opticians, dispensing salary is worth about $52,842 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do opticians, dispensings get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.