Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians Salary: $38,420 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 18,740 ophthalmic laboratory technicians work nationally, and $38,420 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 22% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 3.1% annual decline.
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians: what the data shows
Common questions about ophthalmic laboratory technicians careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a ophthalmic laboratory technicians?
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-9083.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 18,740 workers.
What does a ophthalmic laboratory technicians do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Getting Information, Handling and Moving Objects, Controlling Machines and Processes, Working with Computers, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a ophthalmic laboratory technicians make?
BLS national median annual wage: $38,420 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $55,813 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $39,028 |
| 25th percentile | $41,213 |
| Median (50th) | $50,714 |
| 75th percentile | $69,828 |
| 90th percentile | $79,462 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operation and Control, Time Management, Quality Control Analysis, Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Critical Thinking, and knowledge areas including Production and Processing, Mechanical, Mathematics, Customer and Personal Service. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is ophthalmic laboratory technicians in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 3.1% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -14.6%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -27.1%.
Current U.S. headcount: 18,740.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do ophthalmic laboratory technicianss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 18,740 | 19.7% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 18,630 | 19.6% |
| Manufacturing | 7,780 | 8.2% |
| Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 6,420 | 6.7% |
| Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 6,420 | 6.7% |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 4,750 | 5.0% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Sound Engineering Technicians | 13,050 | $66,430 |
| Helpers--Production Workers | 167,490 | $38,220 |
| Industrial Engineers | 350,230 | $101,140 |
| Dental Laboratory Technicians | 33,920 | $48,310 |
| Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks | 385,000 | $57,770 |
| Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists | — | — |
| Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians | — | — |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians workforce.
Employment Over Time
18,740 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians shrank from 7,820 in 2009 to 4,720 in 2025 (39.6%).
Historical employment for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$38,420 Median pay (BLS national)
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians earn $38,420 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians.
Salary distribution for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians.
Employment Growth Projections
-3.1% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
4,031 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -14.6%
3,442 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -27.1%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians.
Wage Trends by Industry
-10.1% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: 8.8% growth (Current: $64,582)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 3,650 employees, $36,920 avg wage
- FL: 1,770 employees, $38,430 avg wage
- CA: 1,470 employees, $54,400 avg wage
- NY: 1,420 employees, $39,940 avg wage
- GA: 1,040 employees, $43,040 avg wage
- MN: 1,020 employees, $41,620 avg wage
- IL: 560 employees, $38,810 avg wage
- KY: 460 employees, $36,740 avg wage
- PA: 450 employees, $40,240 avg wage
- NC: 420 employees, $41,190 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 2,310 employees, $37,840 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 890 employees, $43,340 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 770 employees, $39,410 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 720 employees, $57,940 avg wage
- St. Cloud, MN: 550 employees, $39,250 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 520 employees, $39,020 avg wage
- San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX: 470 employees, $36,060 avg wage
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: 440 employees, $44,450 avg wage
- Rochester, NY: 430 employees, $40,200 avg wage
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL: 430 employees, $38,190 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians.
Diversity
Demographic information on Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians is about 18,740 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians in 2023 were Business Administration, Technical Training, Engineering.
Common majors for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians workers.
Education level distribution for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians.
Skills
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Time Management, Quality Control Analysis, Operations Monitoring, Monitoring.
Required skills for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians include Production and Processing, Mechanical, Mathematics, Customer and Personal Service, Administration and Management.
Knowledge areas required for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians include Near Vision, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Finger Dexterity, Manual Dexterity, Control Precision.
Required abilities for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians.
Daily Activities
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Handling and Moving Objects, Controlling Machines and Processes, Working with Computers, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge.
Most important work activities for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians.
About
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians earn $38,420 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
51-9083 - Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians reports an average salary of $55,813.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 18,740 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -3.1%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.