SOC 29-2081 · Brownsville-Harlingen, TX metro

Opticians, Dispensing Salary in Brownsville, TX

The average salary for opticians, dispensing in Brownsville, Texas is $37,900 a year ($18.22 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $35,110: half of the 70 people in this job in the Brownsville-Harlingen, TX metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 27% less than the U.S. average for this job ($51,770).

$37,900average per year

$18.22 / hourMedian $35,110Take-home ≈ $32,633

  • $28K10th
  • $30K25th
  • $35KMedian
  • $39K75th
  • $48K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

70people in this job
-27%vs U.S. average
#18 of 24Texas metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Opticians, Dispensing pay range in Brownsville

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,390 a year or less, while the top 10% make $48,500 or more. The middle half of opticians, dispensing in Brownsville earn between $29,640 and $39,390.

  • $28K10th
  • $30K25th
  • $35KMedian
  • $39K75th
  • $48K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$37,900$3,158$18.22
Median$35,110$2,926$16.88
Entry level (25th percentile)$29,640$2,470$14.25
Experienced (75th percentile)$39,390$3,282$18.94

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

Opticians, Dispensing pay in Brownsville vs. Texas and the U.S.

Opticians, dispensing in Brownsville earn 11% less than the Texas average ($42,650) and 27% less than the U.S. average ($51,770). At the median the gap is -26% against the U.S. median of $47,260.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Brownsville$37,900$35,110$28,390$48,50070
Texas$42,650$38,720$29,970$58,2406,700
United States$51,770$47,260$35,610$76,75073,530

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Opticians, Dispensing salary after taxes in Brownsville

On the average salary of $37,900, a single filer in Brownsville takes home about $32,633 a year, or $2,719 a month and $1,255 every two weeks. Taxes take 14% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

Texas paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Brownsville area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 86.0), so the average $37,900 buys what about $44,083 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Brownsville ($36,490). A typical home costs $207,150, or 5.5 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $37,900 is worth in another city

Opticians, Dispensing salary in other Texas cities

Brownsville ranks 18th of 24 Texas metro areas for this job; Austin pays the most ($46,290).

All Opticians, Dispensing salaries in Texas

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 Brownsville, TX.

Opticians, Dispensing salary in Brownsville: questions

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

$18.22 an hour on average, and $16.88 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,390 a year and the 25th percentile is $29,640, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $32,633 a year ($2,719 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $37,900. Texas has no state income tax.

Do opticians, dispensing earn more in Brownsville than elsewhere?

The average here is 27% less than the U.S. average for this job ($51,770).

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 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX (15180). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.9%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • 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 no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.90, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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