GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Opticians, Dispensing
Best States to Be a Opticians, Dispensing
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a opticians, dispensing salary goes furthest in Connecticut — a $75,300 BLS median worth $70,199 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 145.8).
Which US states are best for a opticians, dispensing after cost of living and tax?
For a opticians, dispensing, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Connecticut #1: a $75,300 BLS median becomes $70,199 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 145.8). Alabama ranks last ($39,743, index 82.5). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Connecticut ranks #1 of 51 states for a opticians, dispensing. Index 100 = the average state; 145.8 means pay goes 45.8% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedOpticians, Dispensing — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $75,300 | $2,567 | 103.6 | $70,199 | 145.8 |
| 2 | Hawaii | $75,300 | $4,193 | 110.0 | $64,672 | 134.3 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $72,460 | $2,456 | 108.8 | $64,339 | 133.6 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $67,210 | $3,141 | 105.8 | $60,582 | 125.8 |
| 5 | Vermont | $57,350 | $1,502 | 98.0 | $57,012 | 118.4 |
| 6 | Alaska | $58,250 | — | 102.4 | $56,908 | 118.2 |
| 7 | Florida | $58,850 | — | 103.4 | $56,907 | 118.2 |
| 8 | New York | $63,880 | $2,908 | 107.9 | $56,497 | 117.3 |
| 9 | Tennessee | $49,840 | — | 91.9 | $54,251 | 112.6 |
| 10 | Ohio | $50,500 | $606 | 92.8 | $53,780 | 111.7 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $61,310 | $2,610 | 109.9 | $53,412 | 110.9 |
| 12 | Virginia | $55,820 | $2,410 | 101.1 | $52,827 | 109.7 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $50,190 | $1,591 | 94.3 | $51,522 | 107.0 |
| 14 | California | $57,990 | $1,576 | 110.7 | $50,952 | 105.8 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $45,230 | — | 89.0 | $50,844 | 105.6 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $51,980 | — | 104.2 | $49,902 | 103.6 |
| 17 | South Carolina | $48,000 | $1,369 | 93.7 | $49,741 | 103.3 |
| 18 | South Dakota | $43,400 | — | 88.6 | $48,992 | 101.7 |
| 19 | Iowa | $44,480 | $1,650 | 87.8 | $48,802 | 101.3 |
| 20 | Montana | $47,050 | $1,638 | 94.6 | $47,982 | 99.6 |
| 21 | Georgia | $48,010 | $1,941 | 96.3 | $47,843 | 99.3 |
| 22 | Arkansas | $42,880 | $1,464 | 86.9 | $47,639 | 98.9 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $44,290 | $1,641 | 90.2 | $47,304 | 98.2 |
| 24 | Arizona | $48,210 | $730 | 100.7 | $47,160 | 97.9 |
| 25 | Maine | $47,220 | $1,573 | 97.0 | $47,035 | 97.7 |
| 26 | Nevada | $46,910 | — | 100.0 | $46,920 | 97.4 |
| 27 | Minnesota | $48,020 | $1,776 | 98.6 | $46,890 | 97.4 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $44,820 | $1,223 | 94.1 | $46,333 | 96.2 |
| 29 | Washington | $49,220 | — | 107.0 | $45,994 | 95.5 |
| 30 | Rhode Island | $47,400 | $1,178 | 102.3 | $45,192 | 93.8 |
| 31 | Pennsylvania | $45,450 | $1,395 | 97.6 | $45,151 | 93.7 |
| 32 | Idaho | $43,950 | $1,383 | 95.5 | $44,576 | 92.6 |
| 33 | Colorado | $47,310 | $1,422 | 103.1 | $44,529 | 92.5 |
| 34 | Maryland | $48,700 | $1,981 | 105.0 | $44,512 | 92.4 |
| 35 | Delaware | $46,220 | $1,888 | 99.8 | $44,417 | 92.2 |
| 36 | Oregon | $49,210 | $3,502 | 103.4 | $44,222 | 91.8 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $39,830 | $990 | 90.1 | $43,107 | 89.5 |
| 38 | Kansas | $40,140 | $1,440 | 90.1 | $42,967 | 89.2 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $39,100 | — | 92.7 | $42,183 | 87.6 |
| 40 | Illinois | $43,960 | $2,035 | 100.0 | $41,943 | 87.1 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $37,940 | $1,265 | 87.8 | $41,751 | 86.7 |
| 42 | Missouri | $38,750 | $940 | 90.8 | $41,633 | 86.4 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $39,090 | $761 | 92.2 | $41,566 | 86.3 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $38,120 | $1,036 | 89.5 | $41,436 | 86.0 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $36,680 | $809 | 87.0 | $41,254 | 85.7 |
| 46 | Michigan | $41,180 | $1,504 | 96.2 | $41,236 | 85.6 |
| 47 | Indiana | $39,370 | $1,151 | 93.3 | $40,951 | 85.0 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $36,360 | $716 | 88.2 | $40,410 | 83.9 |
| 49 | Utah | $41,780 | $1,901 | 98.9 | $40,337 | 83.8 |
| 50 | Texas | $38,720 | — | 97.1 | $39,894 | 82.8 |
| 51 | Alabama | $36,880 | $1,579 | 88.8 | $39,743 | 82.5 |
"Real pay" = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the state's 2024 BEA cost of living (US = 100). Only the 51 states for which BLS publishes a median for this occupation are ranked; suppressed cells are excluded, never set to zero.
Where does your salary go furthest?
Enter a salary and a state. We adjust for 2025 state income tax and the 2024 BEA cost of living to show your real, purchasing-power-equivalent pay — then rank every state.
In Connecticut, a $75,300 salary is worth about $67,596 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $5,263 (≈ top marginal 6.99% (upper bound)) · take-home $70,037 · BEA cost of living 103.6 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $85,002, a $17,406 gain over Connecticut.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $85,002 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $83,236 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $82,806 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $82,788 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $82,540 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $82,530 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $81,964 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $81,649 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $81,238 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $80,537 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $80,178 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $80,081 | 89.5 |
Estimate only. State income tax is approximated from each state's 2025 flat rate (or top marginal rate as an upper bound for graduated states) and ignores federal tax, deductions and credits. The pre-published occupation and state pages use exact 2025 bracket math. Cost of living is the 2024 BEA Regional Price Parity (All Items).
Opticians, Dispensing — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a opticians, dispensing?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Connecticut is the best state for a opticians, dispensing: a BLS median of $75,300 is worth $70,199 after the 2025 state income tax ($2,567) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 103.6), an index of 145.8 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Connecticut has the highest headline BLS median for a opticians, dispensing at $75,300, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 51 on real pay (index 145.8). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a opticians, dispensing salary go least far?
- Alabama ranks last of 51 states for a opticians, dispensing: a $36,880 BLS median is worth only $39,743 after tax and cost of living (index 82.5). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.
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Related on GeraJobs
- Gera US Real Pay Index — all states ranked — and how the index is calculated.
- Methodology — the exact BLS + BEA + tax computation.
- Browse US jobs with salary ranges — roles hiring now.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 state estimates, US federal public domain); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities (All Items), by state (2024 (US = 100)); Tax Foundation — 2025 State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets. The Gera US Real Pay Index for a opticians, dispensing is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.