How much do Opticians, Dispensing make in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC?

Percentile spread

For Opticians, Dispensing, the published 10th percentile is $35,870 and the 90th percentile is $68,760. The difference is $32,890, which is 62.8% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $46,450 to the 75th at $61,540, covers $15,090.

The mean annual wage is $53,690, which sits above the median of $52,390. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC median is 10.9% higher than the national median of $47,260 for Opticians, Dispensing. In 2024 national prices the local median is $53,491, which is 13.2% higher than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 6.1% lower than the Virginia median of $55,820.

Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC covers more than one state. The state comparison uses Virginia, the primary state on the BLS area record.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC is 97.941, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $52,390 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Opticians, Dispensing at $53,491 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

15 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Opticians, Dispensing. Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC ranks 12th of 16 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Richmond, VA is 70 miles away, with a median of $55,020 and employment of 310. That median is 5% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $56,224, against $53,491 here.
• Salisbury, MD is 100 miles away, with a median of $46,020 and employment of 40. That median is 12.2% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $48,130, against $53,491 here.
• Raleigh-Cary, NC is 137 miles away, with a median of $47,090 and employment of 480. That median is 10.1% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $47,974, against $53,491 here.

Employment share

Opticians, Dispensing accounts for 0.05% of wage-and-salary employment in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC (400 of 763,060). Nationally the occupation is 0.05% of employment (73,530 of 155,495,730). The local share is 1.11 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.