Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians pay in the U.S.
$43,190avg. a year
$20.76 an hour · 18,660 employed
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians in the U.S. earn an average of $43,190 a year and a median of $39,460. Pay is highest in Connecticut ($79,600) and lowest in Alabama ($35,290).
$39,460Median pay
$20.76Average hourly
+18%Avg. pay since 2020
18,660Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for ophthalmic laboratory technicians
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1170 jobs
Connecticut
$79,600
$38.27 an hour
2180 jobs
New Hampshire
$57,800
$27.79 an hour
31,630 jobs
California
$54,790
$26.34 an hour
4320 jobs
Colorado
$53,240
$25.59 an hour
5260 jobs
Washington
$50,500
$24.28 an hour
670 jobs
Rhode Island
$48,840
$23.48 an hour
7360 jobs
Maryland
$48,450
$23.30 an hour
8250 jobs
Oregon
$47,530
$22.85 an hour
9
Massachusetts
$45,650
$21.95 an hour
10210 jobs
North Carolina
$44,980
$21.62 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $39k$39k–$42k$42k–$45k$45k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $60,920 | $29.29 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $57,460 | $27.63 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $53,480 | $25.71 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $52,500 | $25.24 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $52,110 | $25.05 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $51,900 | $24.95 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $48,610 | $23.37 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $48,580 | $23.36 |
Related jobs
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$53,450
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$44,590
- Production Workers, All Other$44,380
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$54,320
- Helpers--Production Workers$41,120
- Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$52,620
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $35,290 | $37,010 | 190 |
| Arizona | $41,790 | $38,620 | 150 |
| Arkansas | $37,910 | $37,060 | 170 |
| California | $54,790 | $47,410 | 1,630 |
| Colorado | $53,240 | $48,540 | 320 |
| Connecticut | $79,600 | $62,410 | 170 |
| Florida | $41,930 | $38,020 | 1,230 |
| Georgia | $42,820 | $45,050 | 960 |
| Illinois | $39,850 | $36,840 | 830 |
| Indiana | $40,820 | $37,360 | 330 |
| Iowa | $37,240 | $33,910 | 100 |
| Kansas | $43,410 | $44,920 | – |
| Kentucky | $36,310 | $36,650 | 610 |
| Louisiana | $37,740 | $37,160 | 300 |
| Maine | $44,270 | $43,520 | 50 |
| Maryland | $48,450 | $47,100 | 360 |
| Massachusetts | $45,650 | $43,100 | – |
| Michigan | $44,170 | $45,490 | 330 |
| Minnesota | $42,360 | $40,280 | 1,110 |
| Mississippi | $37,120 | $35,230 | 220 |
| Missouri | $39,650 | $38,740 | 360 |
| Nebraska | $43,110 | $40,640 | 170 |
| Nevada | $41,010 | $38,990 | 240 |
| New Hampshire | $57,800 | $59,460 | 180 |
| New Jersey | $43,930 | $47,420 | – |
| New Mexico | $41,950 | $38,590 | 130 |
| New York | $42,890 | $42,450 | 1,250 |
| North Carolina | $44,980 | $44,140 | 210 |
| Ohio | $44,630 | $46,320 | 560 |
| Oklahoma | $37,020 | $35,620 | 210 |
| Oregon | $47,530 | $45,780 | 250 |
| Pennsylvania | $39,600 | $37,680 | 510 |
| Rhode Island | $48,840 | $47,440 | 70 |
| South Carolina | $39,280 | $34,140 | 130 |
| Tennessee | $40,570 | $37,370 | 130 |
| Texas | $39,060 | $37,920 | 3,380 |
| Virginia | $38,280 | $34,170 | 470 |
| Washington | $50,500 | $49,230 | 260 |
| West Virginia | $36,270 | $37,140 | – |
| Wisconsin | $42,290 | $42,920 | 200 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$39,940
1,940 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$57,460
870 jobsAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$43,310
830 jobsMinneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
$43,610
570 jobsNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$41,650
570 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$40,050
520 jobsSt. Cloud, MN
$40,810
520 jobsRochester, NY
$44,310
490 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do ophthalmic laboratory technicians make?
The average is $43,190 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $39,460 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $20.76, and the median is $18.97 an hour.
Which state pays ophthalmic laboratory technicians the most?
Connecticut, with an average of $79,600 a year. The best-paying metro area is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $60,920.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $33,530 a year, and the top 10% earn over $57,380.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 51-9083. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.