Opticians, Dispensing Salary
Opticians, Dispensings in Wildwood-The Villages, FL make a median of $57,670 a year, or about $27.73 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $74K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.42), which stretches that salary to about $67,513 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,328/month, about 33.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $58K actually covers in Wildwood-The Villages, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Wildwood-The Villages’s Regional Price Parity (85.42). 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
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What this looks like in Wildwood-The Villages
Wildwood-The Villages sits well above the national pay line for opticians, dispensing, local pay runs about 22% higher than the U.S. median of $47K. Rent runs $1,328/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.9% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 85.42 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 15% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for opticians, dispensings in metros near Wildwood-The Villages, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $62K | $54K |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $56K | $56K |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $59K | $58K |
| Jacksonville | $57K | $57K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wildwood-The Villages, FL
Entry-level opticians, dispensings (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $58K. Top earners bring in $74K or more, a $38K 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
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a opticians, dispensing afford a 2BR apartment alone in Wildwood-The Villages?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $58K, rent takes 32.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,328/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for opticians, dispensings in Wildwood-The Villages?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new opticians, dispensings typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,572/month. At HUD’s $1,328/month FMR, rent would take 52% 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 Wildwood-The Villages?
Local pay is 22% above the national median — $58K here vs. $47K nationally.
How does Wildwood-The Villages compare to the national average for opticians, dispensings?
Wildwood-The Villages pays $58K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s +22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $68K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do opticians, dispensings make in Wildwood-The Villages, FL?
The median is $57,670 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,870, and experienced opticians, dispensings can clear $74,170. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $58K enough to live in Wildwood-The Villages?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,031/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,328/month, which eats 32.9% 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 Wildwood-The Villages?
Wildwood-The Villages has a Regional Price Parity of 85.42 (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 $67,513 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.