Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for ophthalmic laboratory technicians in the U.S. is $39,460 ($18.97 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $39,460
- Mean annual wage
- $43,190
- Median hourly wage
- $18.97
- Employment
- 18,660
18,660 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $33,530 | $16.12 |
| 25th percentile | $36,470 | $17.53 |
| Median (50th) | $39,460 | $18.97 |
| 75th percentile | $47,010 | $22.60 |
| 90th percentile | $57,380 | $27.59 |
Highest-paying states for ophthalmic laboratory technicians
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | $62,410 | 170 |
| New Hampshire | $59,460 | 180 |
| Washington | $49,230 | 260 |
| Colorado | $48,540 | 320 |
| Rhode Island | $47,440 | 70 |
| New Jersey | $47,420 | — |
| California | $47,410 | 1,630 |
| Maryland | $47,100 | 360 |
| Ohio | $46,320 | 560 |
| Oregon | $45,780 | 250 |
Lowest-paying states
- Iowa: $33,910 median annual wage
- South Carolina: $34,140 median annual wage
- Virginia: $34,170 median annual wage
- Mississippi: $35,230 median annual wage
- Oklahoma: $35,620 median annual wage
About this occupation
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.
Typical tasks
- Examine prescriptions, work orders, or broken or used eyeglasses to determine specifications for lenses, contact lenses, or other optical elements.
- Position and adjust cutting tools to specified curvature, dimensions, and depth of cut.
- Mount and secure lens blanks or optical lenses in holding tools or chucks of cutting, polishing, grinding, or coating machines.
- Control equipment that coats lenses to alter their reflective qualities.
- Set up machines to polish, bevel, edge, or grind lenses, flats, blanks, or other precision optical elements.
- Mount, secure, and align finished lenses in frames or optical assemblies, using precision hand tools.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 4.9% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 26.4% |
| Some college, no degree | 32.8% |
| Associate's degree | 17.3% |
| Bachelor's degree | 15.8% |
| Master's degree | 2.1% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 0.7% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
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About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.