Optician Salary


How Much Does an Optician Make?

On average, a Optician make $47,560 a year. The lowest-paid 10 percent made $31,560, while the top-paid 10 percent made $69,900.

Annually National Average Salary: $47,560

$31K
$36K
$47K
$57K
$69K
10%
25%
50%
75%
90%

* Based on information from the May 2023 salary report from the BLS.




Salary by State

  • Annually
  • Monthly
  • Hourly

Annual Salary by State

State 10% Annual 25% Annual Avg. Annual 75% Annual 90% Annual
Alabama$27,320$28,710$32,870$36,460$42,800
Alaska$37,360$46,620$53,880$59,610$67,590
Arizona$34,650$35,940$46,770$53,500$68,750
Arkansas$29,520$34,230$44,910$51,900$66,300
California$39,170$46,070$59,960$68,140$79,210
Colorado$35,910$38,710$46,020$48,590$60,720
Connecticut$40,300$46,760$64,220$79,220$82,050
Delaware$28,470$35,470$38,840$45,110$46,970
District of Columbia$35,850$47,440$58,550$66,180$73,770
Florida$35,970$39,410$52,160$61,290$70,760
Georgia$29,950$35,830$45,410$51,810$68,350
Hawaii$34,800$36,140$52,710$68,340$72,860
Idaho$28,800$33,170$40,340$42,530$57,050
Illinois$34,380$36,050$41,240$43,890$50,190
Indiana$30,010$33,440$38,120$42,130$46,780
Iowa$31,790$35,770$40,610$46,130$49,700
Kansas$30,030$33,610$37,980$40,240$47,360
Kentucky$29,710$36,070$43,960$53,070$61,880
Louisiana$28,610$30,330$36,870$40,870$51,120
Maine$36,030$38,950$46,420$50,530$60,030
Maryland$33,830$36,390$44,770$50,740$56,300
Massachusetts$45,120$58,400$66,330$73,210$86,500
Michigan$32,140$36,750$42,710$44,960$54,190
Minnesota$34,000$38,460$44,810$48,430$55,110
Mississippi$25,540$27,130$32,780$35,720$42,940
Missouri$30,390$31,910$38,510$44,140$49,830
Montana$30,440$37,600$44,380$47,760$58,940
Nebraska$30,900$33,760$39,340$43,680$48,900
Nevada$36,580$43,330$52,900$59,830$78,430
New Hampshire$36,600$38,900$48,610$53,150$60,930
New Jersey$43,050$53,070$61,350$72,580$79,080
New Mexico$30,940$33,830$38,750$41,790$47,410
New York$40,540$49,910$59,680$65,160$74,140
North Carolina$32,700$37,130$51,870$65,450$74,960
North Dakota$35,970$37,440$42,000$45,830$51,940
Ohio$34,470$37,480$46,600$54,620$60,220
Oklahoma$27,290$29,830$34,820$37,870$44,950
Oregon$36,610$39,470$50,440$60,900$71,340
Pennsylvania$31,400$36,010$42,060$45,510$56,180
Rhode Island$35,250$42,250$48,740$56,920$62,730
South Carolina$30,960$36,410$48,390$58,700$68,550
South Dakota$33,740$35,570$39,690$44,990$48,680
Tennessee$30,210$32,590$46,270$60,190$68,750
Texas$29,130$31,970$37,890$42,670$48,020
Utah$31,730$35,400$42,820$45,760$71,340
Vermont$39,260$47,260$56,430$61,470$71,340
Virginia$35,770$45,750$55,030$62,130$74,030
Washington$37,450$39,250$51,400$60,810$73,420
West Virginia$28,030$30,160$37,810$43,640$54,040
Wisconsin$33,150$35,510$42,390$47,830$56,370
Wyoming$30,620$35,320$38,480$43,600$47,360
Puerto Rico$21,930$23,250$26,800$24,960$38,480

Annual Average Salary: Top 5 States

The top earning state in the field is Massachusetts, where the average salary is $66,330.

These are the top 5 earning states in the field:

Massachusetts - $66,330
Connecticut - $64,220
New Jersey - $61,350
California - $59,960
New York - $59,680

Opticians: Salary Overview

Opticians follow prescriptions from ophthalmologists and optometrists to help fit eyeglasses and contact lenses.

They also help customers choose the eyeglasses or contact lenses that suit them best.

An optician’s job description typically includes receiving the customer’s prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses, measuring the customer’s eyes and face and the distance between pupils, helping customers, adjusting eyewear, educating customers on how to care for their glasses or contact lenses, but also keeping records of the sales, and other business tasks.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for opticians was $37,840 as of May 2019.

This means that half of all workers in this profession who were employed in the United States earned less than this amount while half earned more.

Salaries vary depending on the level of education, skills, experience but also depending on the region, the size of the employer, and the industry of employment.

The bottom 10 percent earned less than $26,640 while the top 10 percent earned more than $60,840.

The 25th percentile for this occupation is $30,050, which tells us that 75 percent of all workers in this occupation made more than this amount.

While as an entry-level employee you will most likely earn a salary that is closer to the minimum for this profession, experience, and good customer service skills can help you earn a salary that is closer to the upper limit of the above range.

Optician Salary by Industry of Employment

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, opticians held approximately 73,800 jobs in the United States in 2018, most of them working for offices of optometrists or for health and personal care stores.

The average annual wage reported by opticians who worked for offices of other healthcare practitioners (a field which also includes opticians’ offices) was $38,420 while those who worked for health and personal care stores reportedly made $40,850 per year.

Other industries where opticians may find employment are offices of physicians, outpatient care centers, general medical and surgical hospitals but also wholesalers of professional and commercial equipment and supplies, colleges, and manufacturers.

As of May 2019, opticians who worked for offices of physicians reportedly earned $42,660 per year, on average while those who worked for general medical and surgical hospitals reportedly earned $45,240 per year.

Opticians who were employed by manufacturers of commercial and service industry machinery made $49,290 per year on average.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the highest-paying field for workers in this occupation was the industry of professional and commercial equipment and supplies merchant manufacturers.

In this sector, the average annual wage reported by opticians was $61,840, more than 50 percent higher than the average across all industries.

There are many other factors that can help improve your earnings as an optician.

Although a high-school diploma and some on-the-job training can help you enter this occupation, earning an associate’s degree or a certificate from a community college or trade school can help you earn a higher starting salary.

Becoming certified in eyeglasses or contact lenses dispensing- a credential offered by the American Board of Opticianry (ABO) and National Contact Lenses Examination- can also help improve your employment and earning prospects.

Some employers try to motivate opticians by offering them a commission on sales or bonuses, in addition to a fixed salary.

This can help increase the cash earnings of opticians who have good customer skills.

According to payscale.com, commissions can vary between less than $500 and more than $9,000 per year while bonuses usually range between less than $300 and more than $4,500 annually.

Some workers also receive a share of the company’s profit which can help supplement their earnings with up to more than $4,000 per year.

* Based on information from the May 2023 salary report from the BLS. The figures represent accumulated data for all states of employment for Opticians. BLS data represents averages and medians for workers at all levels of education and experience. This data doesn't represent starting salaries.

* Employment conditions in your area may vary.


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