Salary · IA · SOC 29-2081

Optician salary in Iowa, per year and per hour

BLS data for May 2025. Median, mean, and percentile pay for opticians, dispensing in Iowa, with every metro area BLS publishes.

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, released May 15, 2026. Publisher page

Quick answer

The median pay for opticians, dispensing in Iowa was $44,480 a year, or $21.39 an hour, in May 2025 (BLS). The middle 80% earned $37,270 to $53,790. About 920 were employed.

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Optician pay in Iowa vs the US

Optician wages in Iowa and the US, May 2025
Measure	IA annual	IA hourly	US annual
Median (50th percentile)	$44,480	$21.39	$47,260
Mean (average)	$44,570	$21.43	$51,770
10th percentile	$37,270	$17.92	$35,610
25th percentile	$38,570	$18.55	$38,820
75th percentile	$46,570	$22.39	$61,700
90th percentile	$53,790	$25.86	$76,750

Employment in Iowa: 920. Location quotient: 1.25 (1.0 = the national share of jobs).

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Publisher page

Optician salary by metro area in Iowa

Optician median wage by metro area, Iowa
Metro area	Median annual	Median hourly	Employed
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA	$46,080	$22.16	240
Cedar Rapids, IA	$45,090	$21.68	90
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL	$42,070	$20.23	90
Iowa City, IA	$46,000	$22.12	50
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD	$38,330	$18.43	50
Ames, IA	$40,860	$19.64	40
Dubuque, IA	$45,560	$21.91	40
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA	$44,930	$21.60	30
Omaha, NE-IA	$43,340	$20.84	340

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Publisher page

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Optician salary in Iowa

Median pay: $44,480 a year ($21.39 an hour)

Middle 80% earn $37,270 to $53,790 a year

Employed: 920

BLS OEWS, May 2025. Source: Rivvi

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<div style="font:14px/1.45 system-ui,sans-serif;color:#222;border:1px solid #E6E6EE;border-radius:12px;padding:14px 16px;max-width:360px;background:#fff"><div style="font-weight:600;font-size:15px;margin-bottom:6px">Optician salary in Iowa</div><div style="margin:2px 0">Median pay: <strong>$44,480</strong> a year ($21.39 an hour)</div><div style="margin:2px 0">Middle 80% earn $37,270 to $53,790 a year</div><div style="margin:2px 0">Employed: 920</div><div style="margin-top:8px;font-size:12px;color:#555">BLS OEWS, May 2025. Source: <a href="https://rivvi.ai/salary/optician/ia" style="color:#3C38C9">Rivvi</a></div></div>

Questions

How much does an Optician make per hour in Iowa?

The median hourly wage was $21.39 in May 2025, per BLS. The 10th percentile was $17.92 and the 90th was $25.86.

What is the average Optician salary in Iowa?

BLS reports a mean (average) of $44,570 a year and a median of $44,480 for May 2025. The median is the middle wage; the mean is pulled up by the highest earners.

Do opticians, dispensing in Iowa earn more than the US median?

The Iowa median of $44,480 is 6% lower than the US median of $47,260 (BLS, May 2025).

How does Iowa rank for optician pay?

Iowa ranks 32 of 51 states (plus DC) by median annual wage for opticians, dispensing (BLS, May 2025).

Where do these numbers come from?

The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates, SOC 29-2081. Figures BLS did not publish are left out.