SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Cut, grind, and polish eyeglasses, contact lenses, or other precision optical elements. Assemble and mount lenses into frames or process other optical elements. Includes precision lens polishers or grinders, centerer-edgers, and lens mounters. Excludes “Opticians, Dispensing ” (29-2081).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 51-9083.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $33,530 | $2,794 | $645 | $16.12 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $36,470 | $3,039 | $701 | $17.53 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $39,460 | $3,288 | $759 | $18.97 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $47,010 | $3,918 | $904 | $22.60 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $57,380 | $4,782 | $1,103 | $27.59 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians is $39,460, which is 23% lower. Among the 105 occupations of the field Production, it ranks number 91 by median pay. With 18,660 jobs, it makes up about 1.2 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians pay by state
The highest median pay was in Connecticut ($62,410), New Hampshire ($59,460) and Washington ($49,230). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($24,420), Iowa ($33,910) and South Carolina ($34,140). The most jobs were in Texas (3,380), California (1,630) and Puerto Rico (1,360). The occupation is most concentrated in Puerto Rico, where its share of all jobs is 12.1 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 170 | $62,410 | $79,600 | $30.01 |
| New Hampshire | 180 | $59,460 | $57,800 | $28.59 |
| Washington | 260 | $49,230 | $50,500 | $23.67 |
| Colorado | 320 | $48,540 | $53,240 | $23.34 |
| Rhode Island | 70 | $47,440 | $48,840 | $22.81 |
| New Jersey | not published | $47,420 | $43,930 | $22.80 |
| California | 1,630 | $47,410 | $54,790 | $22.79 |
| Maryland | 360 | $47,100 | $48,450 | $22.64 |
| Ohio | 560 | $46,320 | $44,630 | $22.27 |
| Oregon | 250 | $45,780 | $47,530 | $22.01 |
| Michigan | 330 | $45,490 | $44,170 | $21.87 |
| Georgia | 960 | $45,050 | $42,820 | $21.66 |
| Kansas | not published | $44,920 | $43,410 | $21.60 |
| North Carolina | 210 | $44,140 | $44,980 | $21.22 |
| Maine | 50 | $43,520 | $44,270 | $20.92 |
| Massachusetts | not published | $43,100 | $45,650 | $20.72 |
| Wisconsin | 200 | $42,920 | $42,290 | $20.64 |
| New York | 1,250 | $42,450 | $42,890 | $20.41 |
| Nebraska | 170 | $40,640 | $43,110 | $19.54 |
| Minnesota | 1,110 | $40,280 | $42,360 | $19.37 |
| Nevada | 240 | $38,990 | $41,010 | $18.74 |
| Missouri | 360 | $38,740 | $39,650 | $18.62 |
| Arizona | 150 | $38,620 | $41,790 | $18.57 |
| New Mexico | 130 | $38,590 | $41,950 | $18.55 |
| Florida | 1,230 | $38,020 | $41,930 | $18.28 |
| Texas | 3,380 | $37,920 | $39,060 | $18.23 |
| Pennsylvania | 510 | $37,680 | $39,600 | $18.12 |
| Tennessee | 130 | $37,370 | $40,570 | $17.97 |
| Indiana | 330 | $37,360 | $40,820 | $17.96 |
| Louisiana | 300 | $37,160 | $37,740 | $17.86 |
| West Virginia | not published | $37,140 | $36,270 | $17.86 |
| Arkansas | 170 | $37,060 | $37,910 | $17.82 |
| Alabama | 190 | $37,010 | $35,290 | $17.80 |
| Illinois | 830 | $36,840 | $39,850 | $17.71 |
| Kentucky | 610 | $36,650 | $36,310 | $17.62 |
| Oklahoma | 210 | $35,620 | $37,020 | $17.12 |
| Mississippi | 220 | $35,230 | $37,120 | $16.94 |
| Virginia | 470 | $34,170 | $38,280 | $16.43 |
| South Carolina | 130 | $34,140 | $39,280 | $16.42 |
| Iowa | 100 | $33,910 | $37,240 | $16.30 |
| Puerto Rico | 1,360 | $24,420 | $26,630 | $11.74 |
| Idaho | 40 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Production Workers, All Other$40,110 a year
- Food Processing Workers, All Other$39,680 a year
- Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$39,530 a year
- Helpers--Production Workers$39,070 a year
- Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$38,760 a year
- Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$38,670 a year
Common questions
How much do Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians earn in the United States?
The median pay was $39,460 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $33,530 and the highest-paid 10% more than $57,380.
How many people work as Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians?
About 18,660 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.