SOC 29-2081 · Champaign-Urbana, IL metro

Opticians, Dispensing Salary in Champaign, IL

The average salary for opticians, dispensing in Champaign, Illinois is $43,970 a year ($21.14 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $37,080: half of the 40 people in this job in the Champaign-Urbana, IL metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 16% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($52,330).

$43,970average per year

$21.14 / hourMedian $37,080Take-home ≈ $35,474

  • $36K10th
  • $36K25th
  • $37KMedian
  • $50K75th
  • $58K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

40people in this job
-16%vs U.S. metro average
#4 of 6Illinois metros
93cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Opticians, Dispensing pay range in Champaign

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,250 a year or less, while the top 10% make $58,400 or more. The middle half of opticians, dispensing in Champaign earn between $36,380 and $49,620.

  • $36K10th
  • $36K25th
  • $37KMedian
  • $50K75th
  • $58K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$43,970$3,664$21.14
Median$37,080$3,090$17.83
Entry level (25th percentile)$36,380$3,032$17.49
Experienced (75th percentile)$49,620$4,135$23.86

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Opticians, Dispensing salary after taxes in Champaign

On the average salary of $43,970, a single filer in Champaign takes home about $35,474 a year, or $2,956 a month and $1,364 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).

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Is Champaign a good place for opticians, dispensing? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Champaign area are 7% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.7), so the average $43,970 buys what about $47,431 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Champaign ($50,700). A typical home costs $237,290, or 5.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $43,970 is worth in another city

Opticians, Dispensing salary in other Illinois cities

Champaign ranks 4th of 6 Illinois metro areas for this job; Chicago pays the most ($47,180).

All Opticians, Dispensing salaries in Illinois

Highest-paying cities for opticians, dispensing

Bridgeport, CT pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($74,410).

Opticians, Dispensing salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Opticians, Dispensing in Champaign, IL.

Opticians, Dispensing salary in Champaign: questions

How much do opticians, dispensing make an hour in Champaign?

$21.14 an hour on average, and $17.83 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level opticians, dispensing salary in Champaign?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,250 a year and the 25th percentile is $36,380, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the opticians, dispensing take-home pay in Champaign?

About $35,474 a year ($2,956 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $43,970.

Do opticians, dispensing earn more in Champaign than elsewhere?

The average here is 16% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($52,330).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 29-2081; area Champaign-Urbana, IL (16580). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.9%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.84, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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