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The national median salary for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians is $39,458 per year ($18.97/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $36,462 and $47,008 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $57,387 per year. There are approximately 18,660 ophthalmic laboratory technicians employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+2.3%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
2K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
20K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
2% from new growth98% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing
NAICS 339100
6K
$43,270
Health and Personal Care Retailers
NAICS 456100
5K
$36,870
Offices of Other Health Practitioners
NAICS 621300
3K
$39,300
Offices of Physicians
NAICS 621100
2K
$36,570
Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
NAICS 423400
1K
$38,770
Wage range across top 5 industries: $36,570 to $43,270 (18% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$16.12
$33,530
P25
$17.53
$36,462
P50MEDIAN
$18.97
$39,458
P75
$22.60
$47,008
P90
$27.59
$57,387
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · manufacturing sector
Stable
Openings Rate
3.5%
Quits Rate
1.4%
Manufacturing openings ticked up to 462K (+19K) in March, with the rate at 3.5%. Hires rose to 310K. The sector has stabilized after late-2025 softening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average ophthalmic laboratory technicians salary?
The national median salary for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians is $39,458 per year ($18.97/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $36,462 and $47,008 annually.
How much do top-earning ophthalmic laboratory technicians make?
The 90th percentile salary for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians is $57,387 per year ($27.59/hr). The 75th percentile is $47,008 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for ophthalmic laboratory technicians?
Entry-level Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians (10th percentile) earn approximately $33,530 per year ($16.12/hr). The 25th percentile is $36,462 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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