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Optician salary
Average optician salary
$38,412
How much does an optician make?
The average optician salary in the United States is $38,412. Optician salaries typically range between $29,000 and $50,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for opticians is $18.47 per hour.
Optician salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Opticians earn the highest average salary in New York.
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Where can an Optician earn more?
Optician salary estimates from across the web
Average optician salary by state
Highest paying states for opticians
Rank  | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $45,032 | $21.65 |
| 2 | Arizona | $41,065 | $19.74 |
| 3 | California | $45,386 | $21.82 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $40,466 | $19.45 |
| 5 | New York | $47,109 | $22.65 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $39,400 | $18.94 |
| 7 | Oregon | $43,790 | $21.05 |
| 8 | Montana | $38,337 | $18.43 |
| 9 | South Dakota | $37,102 | $17.84 |
| 10 | Utah | $37,559 | $18.06 |
| 11 | Ohio | $38,571 | $18.54 |
| 12 | Vermont | $40,486 | $19.46 |
| 13 | Kentucky | $37,487 | $18.02 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $38,111 | $18.32 |
| 15 | Washington | $37,861 | $18.20 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $42,654 | $20.51 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $37,735 | $18.14 |
| 18 | Maine | $38,304 | $18.42 |
| 19 | Wyoming | $37,243 | $17.91 |
| 20 | North Carolina | $36,326 | $17.46 |
| 21 | Louisiana | $36,610 | $17.60 |
| 22 | North Dakota | $36,802 | $17.69 |
| 23 | Colorado | $37,155 | $17.86 |
| 24 | Idaho | $35,661 | $17.14 |
| 25 | Nevada | $35,681 | $17.15 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $35,440 | $17.04 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $36,306 | $17.45 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $35,893 | $17.26 |
| 29 | Mississippi | $35,115 | $16.88 |
| 30 | Virginia | $37,146 | $17.86 |
| 31 | Rhode Island | $35,959 | $17.29 |
| 32 | New Jersey | $36,842 | $17.71 |
| 33 | Maryland | $35,952 | $17.28 |
| 34 | Missouri | $35,021 | $16.84 |
| 35 | Iowa | $33,627 | $16.17 |
| 36 | Pennsylvania | $33,559 | $16.13 |
| 37 | Kansas | $32,979 | $15.86 |
| 38 | Illinois | $33,701 | $16.20 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $33,717 | $16.21 |
| 40 | Michigan | $32,895 | $15.81 |
| 41 | Delaware | $32,830 | $15.78 |
| 42 | Georgia | $31,118 | $14.96 |
| 43 | Texas | $32,798 | $15.77 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | $32,550 | $15.65 |
| 45 | Florida | $26,413 | $12.70 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $31,256 | $15.03 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $31,266 | $15.03 |
| 48 | Indiana | $31,814 | $15.30 |
| 49 | Alabama | $30,854 | $14.83 |
| 50 | District of Columbia | $31,892 | $15.33 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $26,745 | $12.86 |
Highest paying cities for opticians
The highest-paying cities for opticians are San Francisco, CA, Rochester, NY, and Portland, OR.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $47,345 | $22.76 |
| 2 | Rochester, NY | $47,333 | $22.76 |
| 3 | Portland, OR | $43,622 | $20.97 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $40,525 | $19.48 |
| 5 | Duluth, MN | $38,494 | $18.51 |
| 6 | Columbus, OH | $38,241 | $18.39 |
| 7 | Alexandria, VA | $37,719 | $18.13 |
| 8 | Boulder, CO | $37,246 | $17.91 |
| 9 | Paramus, NJ | $37,240 | $17.90 |
| 10 | Alexandria, LA | $36,781 | $17.68 |
| 11 | Baltimore, MD | $36,094 | $17.35 |
| 12 | Omaha, NE | $35,473 | $17.05 |
| 13 | Madison, MS | $35,161 | $16.90 |
| 14 | Saint Louis, MO | $35,055 | $16.85 |
| 15 | Chicago, IL | $33,788 | $16.24 |
| 16 | Philadelphia, PA | $33,731 | $16.22 |
| 17 | San Antonio, TX | $33,161 | $15.94 |
| 18 | Green Bay, WI | $33,120 | $15.92 |
| 19 | Troy, MI | $33,018 | $15.87 |
| 20 | Washington, DC | $31,903 | $15.34 |
Optician salary details
An optician's salary ranges from $29,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $50,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an optician's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $50,000 | $4,167 | $24 |
| 75th Percentile | $44,000 | $3,667 | $21 |
| Average | $38,412 | $3,201 | $18 |
| 25th Percentile | $33,000 | $2,750 | $16 |
| 10th Percentile | $29,000 | $2,417 | $14 |
Highest paying optician jobs
The highest paying types of opticians are ophthalmic dispenser, contact lens fitter, and licensed dispensing optician.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optometric Technician | $30,928 | $2,577 | $14.87 | 33,412 |
| Optician Apprentice | $37,698 | $3,141 | $18.12 | 10,174 |
| Optical Manager | $39,584 | $3,299 | $19.03 | 6,274 |
| Optical Technician | $36,908 | $3,076 | $17.74 | 29,866 |
| Licensed Optician | $45,625 | $3,802 | $21.93 | 14,216 |
Top companies hiring opticians now:
Which companies pay opticians the most?
Optician salaries at Horizon Laser Vision and AMETEK are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average optician salary at companies like Discover Vision and Virginia Eye Institute are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Horizon Laser Vision | $56,688 | $27.25 |
| 2 | AMETEK | $53,942 | $25.93 |
| 3 | Discover Vision | $48,102 | $23.13 |
| 4 | Virginia Eye Institute | $47,931 | $23.04 |
| 5 | University of California | $46,914 | $22.55 |
| 6 | New York State Restaurant Association | $46,909 | $22.55 |
| 7 | Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center | $45,524 | $21.89 |
| 8 | Specialty Care Services Group, LLC | $45,150 | $21.71 |
| 9 | The Eye Care Group | $45,059 | $21.66 |
| 10 | ProMedica Toledo Hospital | $44,747 | $21.51 |
| 11 | Cheshire Medical Center | $44,627 | $21.46 |
| 12 | Illinois College of Optometry | $44,407 | $21.35 |
| 13 | Kaiser Permanente | $44,164 | $21.23 |
| 14 | Dean Mcgee Eye Institute | $43,491 | $20.91 |
| 15 | CVS Health | $42,853 | $20.60 |
| 16 | PeaceHealth | $42,377 | $20.37 |
| 17 | Blue Ridge | $41,350 | $19.88 |
| 18 | Oregon Health & Science University | $41,307 | $19.86 |
| 19 | University of Rochester | $40,995 | $19.71 |
| 20 | Lahey Health Behavioral Services | $40,592 | $19.52 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Optician salary trends
The average optician salary has risen by $5,414 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average optician earned $32,998 annually, but today, they earn $38,412 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for opticians over the last decade.
Compare optician salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average optician salary over time
Compare optician salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
- National Average
- Columbus, OH
Optician salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $38,400 | $18.47 | +1.8% |
| 2024 | $37,700 | $18.14 | +2.2% |
| 2023 | $36,900 | $17.74 | +2.1% |
| 2022 | $36,100 | $17.37 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $35,400 | $17.03 | +1.9% |
Recently added optician salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masiello Employment Services | Optician In Training | Keene, NH | 12/17/2024 | $37,566 |
| Vision Source, LP | Optician | Orinda, CA | 12/16/2024 | $41,740 |
| BJ's Wholesale Club | Optician | Elsmere, DE | 12/15/2024 | $37,566 |
| AEG | Optician | Aurora, CO | 12/15/2024 | $39,653 |
| BJ's Wholesale Club | Optician | Baltimore, MD | 12/14/2024 | $37,566 |
| Gentle Monster | Optician | Las Vegas, NV | 12/14/2024 | $39,653 |
| BJ's Wholesale Club | Optician | Quakertown, PA | 12/13/2024 | $37,566 |
| Wal-Mart | Optician Sam's | Albuquerque, NM | 12/12/2024 | $35,479 |
| Wal-Mart | (USA) Optician Sam's | Saint Louis, MO | 12/12/2024 | $40,697 |
| PDS Optical | Optician | Downe, NJ | 12/12/2024 | $58,436 |
Optician salary FAQs
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