Opticians, Dispensing Salary
Opticians, Dispensings in Virginia make a median of $55,820 a year, or about $26.84 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $77K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.79), which stretches that salary to about $58,888 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,646/month, about 44.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Virginia. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $56K actually covers in Virginia, month by month
About opticians, dispensings
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What this looks like in Virginia
Virginia sits well above the national pay line for opticians, dispensing, local pay runs about 18% 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 $1,646/month, which is 44.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.79 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia
Entry-level opticians, dispensings (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $56K. Top earners bring in $77K or more, a $41K spread from bottom to top.
Opticians, Dispensing salary by metro in Virginia
7 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisonburg | $63K | +13% | 30 |
| Winchester | $58K | +4% | 40 |
| Charlottesville | $57K | +2% | 60 |
| Richmond | $55K | -1% | 310 |
| Roanoke | $53K | -6% | 90 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $52K | -6% | 400 |
| Lynchburg | $49K | -12% | 50 |
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Virginia numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a opticians, dispensing afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $56K, rent takes 44.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,646/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for opticians, dispensings in Virginia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new opticians, dispensings typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,473/month. At HUD’s $1,646/month FMR, rent would take 67% 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 Virginia?
Local pay is 18% above the national median — $56K here vs. $47K nationally.
How does Virginia compare to the national average for opticians, dispensings?
Virginia pays $56K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s +18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.79), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do opticians, dispensings make in Virginia?
The median is $55,820 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,360, and experienced opticians, dispensings can clear $77,460. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $56K enough to live in Virginia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,683/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,646/month, which eats 44.7% 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 Virginia?
Virginia has a Regional Price Parity of 94.79 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median opticians, dispensing salary is worth about $58,888 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.