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Opticians, Dispensing pay in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Vallejo, CA
The May 2025 BLS OEWS median for Opticians, Dispensing is $46,080 per year in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA. It is $78,830 per year in Vallejo, CA. Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA is 41.5% below Vallejo, CA on the published median.
Both rows use SOC 29-2081 and the same annual wage metric. Median means the middle of each area's published wage spread. It is not one worker's pay. The larger median is not proof that one place gives a better job or a better result. It is one wage fact from one source period.
BLS lists 240 wage and salary jobs in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and 90 in Vallejo, CA. Those are survey job counts, not open posts. Read pay, job scale, local share, and price level as separate facts before you make a choice.
Evidence: bls-oews-may-2025 · Rule: same-soc-same-metric-pair · nominal-median-gap · employment-not-openings