Optician earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level optician earnings begin at:

$39.11 per hour

$81,340 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level optician earnings begin at:

$35.14 per hour

$73,080 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level optician earnings begin at:

$24.13 per hour

$50,190 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level optician earnings begin at:

$18.57 per hour

$38,620 per year

10th percentile

Starting level optician earnings begin at:

$17.55 per hour

$36,500 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Optician salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Connecticut $75,300
Hawaii $75,300
New Jersey $72,460
Massachusetts $67,210
New York $63,880
District of Columbia $61,310
Florida $58,850
Alaska $58,250
California $57,990
Vermont $57,350
Virginia $55,820
New Hampshire $51,980
Ohio $50,500
North Carolina $50,190
Tennessee $49,840
Washington $49,220
Oregon $49,210
Maryland $48,700
Arizona $48,210
Minnesota $48,020
Georgia $48,010
South Carolina $48,000
Rhode Island $47,400
Colorado $47,310
Maine $47,220
Montana $47,050
Nevada $46,910
Delaware $46,220
Pennsylvania $45,450
North Dakota $45,230
Wisconsin $44,820
Iowa $44,480
Kentucky $44,290
Illinois $43,960
Idaho $43,950
South Dakota $43,400
Arkansas $42,880
Utah $41,780
Michigan $41,180
Kansas $40,140
Nebraska $39,830
Indiana $39,370
Wyoming $39,100
New Mexico $39,090
Missouri $38,750
Texas $38,720
West Virginia $38,120
Oklahoma $37,940
Alabama $36,880
Mississippi $36,680
Louisiana $36,360
Puerto Rico $19,600

How much does an Optician earn?

Based on the type of work setting, the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests that the average salary for opticians employed in general merchandise stores earned a yearly salary of about $36,280, while those employed in department stores earned less than $29,660 per annum.

Based on years of work experience according to BLS reports, an average yearly salary for an optician is as follows: an individual with less than one to four years of work experience earns from $17,114 – $44,698/yr; someone with five to nine years earns from $22,408 – $45,429/yr; someone with 10-19 years of experience receives between $28,358 – $62,030/yr; and someone with more than 20 years of work experience earns from $29,491 – $57,704/yr.

How do optician salaries compare to similar careers?

Opticians earn about the same as related careers in North Carolina. On average, they make less than surgical technologists but more than ophthalmic medical technologists.

Career Median Salary
Surgical technologist salary $61K
Mental health counselor salary $55K
Paramedic salary $57K
Exercise physiologist salary $52K
Medical appliance technician salary $55K
Optician salary $50K
Medical records technician salary $50K
Neurodiagnostic technologist salary $46K
Surgical assistant salary $46K
Ophthalmic medical technologist salary $46K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)