SOC 29-2081 · La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN metro

Opticians, Dispensing Salary in La Crosse, WI

The average salary for opticians, dispensing in La Crosse, Wisconsin is $45,660 a year ($21.95 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $44,620: half of the 60 people in this job in the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 13% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($52,330).

$45,660average per year

$21.95 / hourMedian $44,620Take-home ≈ $37,505

  • $37K10th
  • $39K25th
  • $45KMedian
  • $48K75th
  • $61K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

60people in this job
-13%vs U.S. metro average
#9 of 12Wisconsin metros
92cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Opticians, Dispensing pay range in La Crosse

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,090 a year or less, while the top 10% make $60,580 or more. The middle half of opticians, dispensing in La Crosse earn between $38,790 and $47,910.

  • $37K10th
  • $39K25th
  • $45KMedian
  • $48K75th
  • $61K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$45,660$3,805$21.95
Median$44,620$3,718$21.45
Entry level (25th percentile)$38,790$3,232$18.65
Experienced (75th percentile)$47,910$3,992$23.03

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

Opticians, Dispensing salary after taxes in La Crosse

On the average salary of $45,660, a single filer in La Crosse takes home about $37,505 a year, or $3,125 a month and $1,442 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.

The La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in WI$37,505$3,125
Working in MN$37,244$3,104

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

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

Prices in the La Crosse area are 8% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 91.8), so the average $45,660 buys what about $49,755 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in La Crosse ($48,260). A typical home costs $335,330, or 7.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $45,660 is worth in another city

Opticians, Dispensing salary in other Wisconsin cities

La Crosse ranks 9th of 12 Wisconsin metro areas for this job; Madison pays the most ($48,490).

All Opticians, Dispensing salaries in Wisconsin

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 La Crosse, WI.

Opticians, Dispensing salary in La Crosse: questions

How much do opticians, dispensing make an hour in La Crosse?

$21.95 an hour on average, and $21.45 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,090 a year and the 25th percentile is $38,790, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $37,505 a year ($3,125 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $45,660.

Do opticians, dispensing earn more in La Crosse than elsewhere?

The average here is 13% 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 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN (29100). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.7%.
  • 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 (2026 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.59, this job is 1.6 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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