Prevailing Wage for Opticians, Dispensing
The prevailing wage for Opticians, Dispensing (SOC 29-2081) sets the minimum salary a U.S. employer must pay when sponsoring a Licensed Dispensing Optician or Dispensing Optician on an H-1B, E-3, or green card petition. DOL establishes four experience-based wage levels, and the floor shifts considerably depending on the worksite city.
See all jobs for Opticians, DispensingLook up your work address
Level 1 applies to entry-level dispensing opticians with limited independent judgment, typically new to fitting frames and lenses under close supervision. Employers filing at this level expect the worker to follow established procedures rather than adapt them independently.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for Opticians, Dispensing. It covers qualified opticians who work with routine independence, handle standard contact lens fittings and frame adjustments, and occasionally troubleshoot prescriptions without requiring step-by-step supervision.
Level 3 applies to experienced opticians who routinely handle complex prescriptions, mentor junior staff, and exercise significant judgment in adapting frames or lenses to unusual specifications. Employers expect this worker to operate with minimal oversight across most dispensing tasks.
Level 4 covers fully competent Licensed Opticians in senior or lead roles, often overseeing an optical department, training staff, or managing specialty lens and contact lens programs. This level reflects top-of-range compensation for the occupation in a given market.
Prevailing Wage for Opticians, Dispensing by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
See all jobs for Opticians, Dispensing
See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Opticians, Dispensing and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
Search visa-sponsored jobsPrevailing Wage Guide for Opticians, Dispensing
Confirm your license tier before the LCA
Many states require a licensed dispensing optician credential that employers reference when selecting a wage level. If your offer letter cites a Licensed Optician or LDO title, verify the state license requirement aligns with the filed level before the LCA is certified.
Watch for optical retail chain pay structures
Large optical retail employers often add commission or performance bonuses for contact lens upsells. DOL counts only base salary toward the prevailing wage floor, so a base below the filed level is a compliance problem even when total compensation looks competitive.
Compare metros before accepting a relocation offer
Prevailing wage floors for dispensing opticians vary sharply by region. Coastal markets in Connecticut and California set floors well above the national median, while Puerto Rico metros sit significantly lower. The LCA must list the actual worksite city, not the employer's headquarters.
Use Migrate Mate to find sponsoring optical employers
Migrate Mate shows which employers have historically sponsored Opticians, Dispensing roles and lets you filter by visa type and location. Seeing a company's past sponsorship count helps you prioritize outreach to optical groups already experienced with H-1B or green card filings.
Jobs for Opticians, Dispensing are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for Opticians, DispensingPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 29-2081.00 alongside Opticians, Dispensing, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Certified Optician Prevailing Wage
Certified Optician Prevailing Wage
Certified Optician positions fall under SOC 29-2081.00 (Opticians, Dispensing). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Contact Lens Technician Prevailing Wage
Contact Lens Technician Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Contact Lens Technician for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-2081.00 (Opticians, Dispensing). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Dispensing Optician Prevailing Wage
Dispensing Optician Prevailing Wage
Dispensing Optician is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 29-2081.00 (Opticians, Dispensing). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Licensed Dispensing Optician (LDO) Prevailing Wage
Licensed Dispensing Optician (LDO) Prevailing Wage
Licensed Dispensing Optician (LDO) positions fall under SOC 29-2081.00 (Opticians, Dispensing). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Licensed Optician Prevailing Wage
Licensed Optician Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Licensed Optician for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-2081.00 (Opticians, Dispensing). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Ophthalmic Dispenser Prevailing Wage
Ophthalmic Dispenser Prevailing Wage
Ophthalmic Dispenser is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 29-2081.00 (Opticians, Dispensing). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Optical Technician Prevailing Wage
Optical Technician Prevailing Wage
Optical Technician positions fall under SOC 29-2081.00 (Opticians, Dispensing). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Optician Prevailing Wage
Optician Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Optician for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-2081.00 (Opticians, Dispensing). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Optometric Technician Prevailing Wage
Optometric Technician Prevailing Wage
Optometric Technician is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 29-2081.00 (Opticians, Dispensing). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Registered Optician Prevailing Wage
Registered Optician Prevailing Wage
Registered Optician positions fall under SOC 29-2081.00 (Opticians, Dispensing). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Opticians, Dispensing?
DOL derives prevailing wages for Opticians, Dispensing from Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across hundreds of metropolitan areas. OFLC converts those survey results into four wage levels, published annually. Employers must request a prevailing wage determination from OFLC or use the OFLC Wage Search to confirm the current floor before certifying an LCA.
What do the four wage levels mean, and how do I know which applies to my offer?
DOL's four levels reflect experience and supervision: Level 1 is entry-level under close supervision, Level 2 is qualified with routine independence, Level 3 is experienced with significant judgment, and Level 4 is fully competent in a lead or senior capacity. Review the job duties and the degree of oversight described in your offer letter, then match those to the level definitions OFLC publishes. Most standard dispensing roles land at Level 2.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same optician role differ so much city to city?
OFLC uses regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data, so each metropolitan area produces its own wage distribution for Opticians, Dispensing. Markets with higher costs of living or stronger employer competition push survey wages up. The LCA worksite rule requires employers to use the wage for the actual city where you'll work, not a national average, which is why a San Jose offer and a Puerto Rico offer can have floors that differ by tens of thousands of dollars annually.
What happens if a sponsored offer is below the prevailing wage floor?
An employer cannot certify an LCA with a wage below the OFLC-determined prevailing wage for the filed level and worksite. USCIS will deny an H-1B or E-3 petition if the underlying LCA is deficient. For green card sponsorship through PERM, DOL audits wages against the prevailing wage determination on file. A below-floor offer is not fixable after filing; the employer must amend the offered wage before submitting.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search and enter SOC code 29-2081 along with the target metropolitan area. The tool returns the current four-level wages for that worksite. Cross-reference with Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational data if you want broader context on local pay ranges. Migrate Mate can help you identify which employers have sponsored Dispensing Optician roles in specific markets, so you can target companies already familiar with the filing process.
See which employers are hiring and sponsoring visas for Opticians, Dispensing right now.
Search Jobs for Opticians, Dispensing