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Optical Technician salary
Average optical technician salary
$36,908
How much does an optical technician make?
The average optical technician salary in the United States is $36,908. Optical technician salaries typically range between $25,000 and $54,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for optical technicians is $17.74 per hour.
Optical technician salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Optical technicians earn the highest average salary in Alaska.
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Where can an Optical Technician earn more?
Optical Technician salary estimates from across the web
Average optical technician salary by state
Highest paying states for optical technicians
Rank  | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $43,718 | $21.02 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $39,420 | $18.95 |
| 3 | New York | $40,619 | $19.53 |
| 4 | Arizona | $39,806 | $19.14 |
| 5 | Nevada | $36,381 | $17.49 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $38,759 | $18.63 |
| 7 | Utah | $37,168 | $17.87 |
| 8 | Oregon | $42,883 | $20.62 |
| 9 | Vermont | $37,014 | $17.80 |
| 10 | West Virginia | $36,127 | $17.37 |
| 11 | Maine | $34,660 | $16.66 |
| 12 | Florida | $35,346 | $16.99 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $37,496 | $18.03 |
| 14 | Colorado | $36,412 | $17.51 |
| 15 | Kentucky | $34,975 | $16.81 |
| 16 | California | $40,897 | $19.66 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $35,749 | $17.19 |
| 18 | Montana | $36,300 | $17.45 |
| 19 | Ohio | $35,295 | $16.97 |
| 20 | North Carolina | $34,027 | $16.36 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $35,593 | $17.11 |
| 22 | Washington | $36,557 | $17.58 |
| 23 | South Carolina | $33,596 | $16.15 |
| 24 | Hawaii | $39,701 | $19.09 |
| 25 | South Dakota | $34,889 | $16.77 |
| 26 | North Dakota | $34,823 | $16.74 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $33,998 | $16.35 |
| 28 | Louisiana | $34,578 | $16.62 |
| 29 | Rhode Island | $35,143 | $16.90 |
| 30 | Virginia | $36,215 | $17.41 |
| 31 | Missouri | $32,734 | $15.74 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $33,891 | $16.29 |
| 33 | Idaho | $34,780 | $16.72 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $33,308 | $16.01 |
| 35 | Maryland | $35,889 | $17.25 |
| 36 | Iowa | $31,559 | $15.17 |
| 37 | Delaware | $33,311 | $16.01 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $33,057 | $15.89 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $30,828 | $14.82 |
| 40 | Michigan | $31,548 | $15.17 |
| 41 | Illinois | $31,795 | $15.29 |
| 42 | Indiana | $29,985 | $14.42 |
| 43 | Georgia | $29,135 | $14.01 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $32,163 | $15.46 |
| 45 | Kansas | $30,984 | $14.90 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $28,894 | $13.89 |
| 47 | Alabama | $28,836 | $13.86 |
| 48 | Texas | $30,616 | $14.72 |
| 49 | District of Columbia | $31,655 | $15.22 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $28,940 | $13.91 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $24,941 | $11.99 |
Highest paying cities for optical technicians
The highest-paying cities for optical technicians are Hayward, CA, New York, NY, and Phoenix, AZ.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hayward, CA | $43,056 | $20.70 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $40,750 | $19.59 |
| 3 | Phoenix, AZ | $39,954 | $19.21 |
| 4 | Lexington, MA | $38,558 | $18.54 |
| 5 | Elizabeth, NJ | $37,625 | $18.09 |
| 6 | Boulder, CO | $36,424 | $17.51 |
| 7 | Baltimore, MD | $36,197 | $17.40 |
| 8 | Bloomington, MN | $35,664 | $17.15 |
| 9 | Bradenton, FL | $35,479 | $17.06 |
| 10 | Westerville, OH | $34,851 | $16.76 |
| 11 | Charlotte, NC | $33,798 | $16.25 |
| 12 | Conroe, TX | $30,472 | $14.65 |
| 13 | Atlanta, GA | $29,086 | $13.98 |
| 14 | Tulsa, OK | $24,744 | $11.90 |
Optical Technician salary details
An optical technician's salary ranges from $25,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $54,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an optical technician's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $54,000 | $4,500 | $26 |
| 75th Percentile | $45,000 | $3,750 | $22 |
| Average | $36,908 | $3,076 | $18 |
| 25th Percentile | $30,000 | $2,500 | $14 |
| 10th Percentile | $25,000 | $2,083 | $12 |
Highest paying optical technician jobs
The highest paying types of optical technicians are ophthalmic dispenser, contact lens fitter, and licensed dispensing optician.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optician Apprentice | $37,698 | $3,141 | $18.12 | 10,174 |
| Licensed Optician | $45,625 | $3,802 | $21.93 | 14,216 |
| Optical Manager | $39,584 | $3,299 | $19.03 | 6,274 |
| Optician | $38,412 | $3,201 | $18.47 | 4,717 |
| Technician | $38,045 | $3,170 | $18.29 | 596,842 |
| Optometric Technician | $30,928 | $2,577 | $14.87 | 33,412 |
Top companies hiring optical technicians now:
Which companies pay optical technicians the most?
Optical technician salaries at AMETEK and United Health Centers Of The San Joaquin Valley are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average optical technician salary at companies like Fidelity Holding and Ball are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AMETEK | $67,206 | $32.31 |
| 2 | United Health Centers Of The San Joaquin Valley | $62,434 | $30.02 |
| 3 | Fidelity Holding | $60,307 | $28.99 |
| 4 | Ball | $58,541 | $28.14 |
| 5 | Mount Holyoke College | $56,968 | $27.39 |
| 6 | Corning Incorporated | $56,102 | $26.97 |
| 7 | IDEX | $55,807 | $26.83 |
| 8 | Coherent | $53,325 | $25.64 |
| 9 | FLIR Systems | $52,675 | $25.32 |
| 10 | Northrop Grumman | $52,146 | $25.07 |
| 11 | Lockheed Martin | $51,497 | $24.76 |
| 12 | IPG Photonics | $50,734 | $24.39 |
| 13 | Luna | $48,176 | $23.16 |
| 14 | Zayo Group | $47,880 | $23.02 |
| 15 | General Dynamics | $47,769 | $22.97 |
| 16 | Dolby Laboratories | $46,997 | $22.59 |
| 17 | ASML Holding | $45,383 | $21.82 |
| 18 | Revision | $44,019 | $21.16 |
| 19 | CTG | $43,029 | $20.69 |
| 20 | Novelis | $42,393 | $20.38 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Optical Technician salary by industry
The average optical technician salary varies across industries:
- The average optical technician salary in the technology industry is $47,206, the highest of any industry.
- The average optical technician salary in the finance industry is $38,779.
- Optical technicians in the retail industry earn an average salary of $32,579, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for optical technicians
| Rank | Industry | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $47,206 | $22.70 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $38,779 | $18.64 |
| 3 | Health Care | $36,168 | $17.39 |
| 4 | Retail | $32,579 | $15.66 |
High Paying Optical Technician Jobs
Optical Technician salary trends
The average optical technician salary has risen by $5,202 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average optical technician earned $31,706 annually, but today, they earn $36,908 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for optical technicians over the last decade.
Compare optical technician salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average optical technician salary over time
Compare optical technician salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
- National Average
- Columbus, OH
Optical Technician salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $36,900 | $17.74 | +1.8% |
| 2024 | $36,200 | $17.43 | +2.2% |
| 2023 | $35,500 | $17.04 | +2.1% |
| 2022 | $34,700 | $16.69 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $34,000 | $16.36 | +1.9% |
Recently added optical technician salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska Furniture Mart, Inc. | Optician/Optical Tech | Omaha, NE | 12/16/2024 | $45,914 |
| Clarkson Eyecare | Optical Technician/Optician | Fairview Heights, IL | 12/15/2024 | $31,305 |
| Nationwide Vision | Optical Technician/Optician | Phoenix, AZ | 12/15/2024 | $33,392 |
| Actalent | Optical Technician | Oceanside, CA | 12/14/2024 | $52,175 |
| Curtis Eye Care | Optical Tech/Medical Scribe | Byron Center, MI | 12/13/2024 | $35,479 |
| Corning | Optical Technician-1St. and 2Nd Shift | Fairport, NY | 12/12/2024 | $42,784 |
| VSP Vision | Optical Technician | Tampa, FL | 12/11/2024 | $27,131 |
| VSP Vision | Optical Technician | Urban Honolulu, HI | 12/11/2024 | $31,305 |
| Clarkson Eyecare | Optical Technician/Optician | Saint Charles, MO | 12/10/2024 | $31,305 |
| Eye Care Partners Career | Optical Technician/Optician | Saint Charles, MO | 12/10/2024 | $31,305 |
Optical Technician salary FAQs
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