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Opticians, Dispensing: apprenticeship hours and pay
O*NET-SOC 29-2081.00
Approved apprenticeship titles
One apprenticeship title on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Opticians, Dispensing, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 4,000 hours, for OPTHALMIC DISPEN OPT/CONTACT LENS (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| OPTHALMIC DISPEN OPT/CONTACT LENS | 0089 | Competency-Based: 4,000 hours Hybrid: 6,000 to 7,500 hours Time-Based: 4,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What opticians, dispensing earn, by state
Connecticut has the highest state median for opticians, dispensing ($75,300) and Puerto Rico the lowest ($28,980), across the 52 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | $75,300 | $36.20 | 610 |
| Hawaii | $75,300 | $36.20 | 110 |
| New Jersey | $72,460 | $34.84 | 2,010 |
| Massachusetts | $67,210 | $32.31 | 1,360 |
| New York | $63,880 | $30.71 | 3,520 |
| District of Columbia | $61,310 | $29.48 | 80 |
| Florida | $58,850 | $28.30 | 5,080 |
| Alaska | $58,250 | $28.01 | 90 |
| California | $57,990 | $27.88 | 7,840 |
| Vermont | $57,350 | $27.57 | 70 |
| Virginia | $55,820 | $26.84 | 1,860 |
| New Hampshire | $51,980 | $24.99 | 440 |
| Ohio | $50,500 | $24.28 | 2,960 |
| North Carolina | $50,190 | $24.13 | 2,020 |
| Tennessee | $49,840 | $23.96 | 1,530 |
| Washington | $49,220 | $23.66 | 2,100 |
| Oregon | $49,210 | $23.66 | 1,000 |
| Maryland | $48,700 | $23.41 | 1,060 |
| Arizona | $48,210 | $23.18 | 1,400 |
| Minnesota | $48,020 | $23.09 | 1,490 |
| Georgia | $48,010 | $23.08 | 2,290 |
| South Carolina | $48,000 | $23.08 | 890 |
| Rhode Island | $47,400 | $22.79 | 350 |
| Colorado | $47,310 | $22.74 | 1,520 |
| Maine | $47,220 | $22.70 | 350 |
| Montana | $47,050 | $22.62 | 330 |
| Nevada | $46,910 | $22.55 | 960 |
| Delaware | $46,220 | $22.22 | 270 |
| Pennsylvania | $45,450 | $21.85 | 2,230 |
| North Dakota | $45,230 | $21.74 | 230 |
| Wisconsin | $44,820 | $21.55 | 1,430 |
| Iowa | $44,480 | $21.39 | 920 |
| Kentucky | $44,290 | $21.29 | 950 |
| Illinois | $43,960 | $21.14 | 3,250 |
| Idaho | $43,950 | $21.13 | 530 |
| South Dakota | $43,400 | $20.87 | 430 |
| Arkansas | $42,880 | $20.62 | 690 |
| Utah | $41,780 | $20.09 | 700 |
| Michigan | $41,180 | $19.80 | 3,080 |
| Kansas | $40,140 | $19.30 | 630 |
| Nebraska | $39,830 | $19.15 | 870 |
| Indiana | $39,370 | $18.93 | 2,010 |
| Wyoming | $39,100 | $18.80 | 130 |
| New Mexico | $39,090 | $18.80 | 340 |
| Missouri | $38,750 | $18.63 | 1,600 |
| Texas | $38,720 | $18.61 | 6,700 |
| West Virginia | $38,120 | $18.33 | 350 |
| Oklahoma | $37,940 | $18.24 | 730 |
| Alabama | $36,880 | $17.73 | 880 |
| Mississippi | $36,680 | $17.63 | 560 |
| Louisiana | $36,360 | $17.48 | 720 |
| Puerto Rico | $28,980 | $13.93 | 1,380 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).