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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023

51-9083 Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians

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. Excludes “Opticians, Dispensing ” (29-2081).


National estimates for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians
Industry profile for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians
Geographic profile for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians

National estimates for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
18,240 5.4 % $ 19.85 $ 41,280 1.2 %

Percentile wage estimates for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 14.44 $ 16.65 $ 18.13 $ 21.90 $ 26.72
Annual Wage (2) $ 30,030 $ 34,630 $ 37,720 $ 45,540 $ 55,580


Industry profile for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing 5,520 1.63 $ 19.06 $ 39,640
Health and Personal Care Retailers 3,800 0.34 $ 17.69 $ 36,790
Offices of Physicians 2,450 0.09 $ 19.28 $ 40,100
Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing 2,380 2.64 $ 27.20 $ 56,570
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 2,290 0.20 $ 17.89 $ 37,210

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing 2,380 2.64 $ 27.20 $ 56,570
Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing 5,520 1.63 $ 19.06 $ 39,640
Health and Personal Care Retailers 3,800 0.34 $ 17.69 $ 36,790
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 2,290 0.20 $ 17.89 $ 37,210
Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 1,220 0.17 $ 18.15 $ 37,760

Top paying industries for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Outpatient Care Centers 170 0.02 $ 32.17 $ 66,920
Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing 2,380 2.64 $ 27.20 $ 56,570
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) 120 0.01 $ 25.91 $ 53,900
Offices of Physicians 2,450 0.09 $ 19.28 $ 40,100
Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing 5,520 1.63 $ 19.06 $ 39,640


Geographic profile for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of ophthalmic laboratory technicians by state, May 2023


States with the highest employment level in Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 2,580 0.19 1.58 $ 16.74 $ 34,830
California 1,890 0.11 0.88 $ 26.54 $ 55,200
Florida 1,370 0.14 1.20 $ 17.72 $ 36,850
Minnesota 1,340 0.47 3.88 $ 18.95 $ 39,420
New York 1,250 0.13 1.11 $ 18.93 $ 39,370


Map of location quotient of ophthalmic laboratory technicians by state, May 2023


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Minnesota 1,340 0.47 3.88 $ 18.95 $ 39,420
Louisiana 450 0.24 2.04 $ 17.20 $ 35,780
Colorado 580 0.21 1.71 $ 22.60 $ 47,000
Texas 2,580 0.19 1.58 $ 16.74 $ 34,830
Kentucky 370 0.19 1.55 $ 17.12 $ 35,610


Map of annual mean wages of ophthalmic laboratory technicians by state, May 2023


Top paying states for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Connecticut 210 0.13 1.04 $ 38.52 $ 80,120
New Hampshire 120 0.17 1.42 $ 26.82 $ 55,780
California 1,890 0.11 0.88 $ 26.54 $ 55,200
Maryland 160 0.06 0.50 $ 23.95 $ 49,810
Colorado 580 0.21 1.71 $ 22.60 $ 47,000



Map of employment of ophthalmic laboratory technicians by area, May 2023


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,390 0.35 2.93 $ 16.63 $ 34,580
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 880 0.14 1.18 $ 26.07 $ 54,220
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 790 0.41 3.43 $ 20.20 $ 42,020
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 650 0.07 0.57 $ 18.90 $ 39,310
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 640 0.23 1.88 $ 19.48 $ 40,520
St. Cloud, MN 590 5.77 48.05 $ 17.66 $ 36,730
Rochester, NY 470 0.95 7.94 $ 18.67 $ 38,840
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 410 0.29 2.41 $ 17.15 $ 35,680
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 380 0.14 1.15 $ 23.42 $ 48,710
St. Louis, MO-IL 340 0.26 2.17 $ 19.51 $ 40,580


Map of location quotient of ophthalmic laboratory technicians by area, May 2023


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
St. Cloud, MN 590 5.77 48.05 $ 17.66 $ 36,730
Rochester, NY 470 0.95 7.94 $ 18.67 $ 38,840
Green Bay, WI 140 0.81 6.77 $ 20.82 $ 43,300
Boulder, CO 110 0.58 4.85 $ 26.75 $ 55,640
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 790 0.41 3.43 $ 20.20 $ 42,020
Lincoln, NE 60 0.36 3.00 $ 19.83 $ 41,250
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,390 0.35 2.93 $ 16.63 $ 34,580
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL 80 0.32 2.70 $ 17.71 $ 36,830
Baton Rouge, LA 120 0.30 2.54 $ 17.86 $ 37,140
Santa Rosa, CA 60 0.30 2.50 $ 31.02 $ 64,520


Map of annual mean wages of ophthalmic laboratory technicians by area, May 2023


Top paying metropolitan areas for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 220 0.09 0.75 $ 31.91 $ 66,360
Santa Rosa, CA 60 0.30 2.50 $ 31.02 $ 64,520
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 170 0.10 0.84 $ 27.29 $ 56,770
Boulder, CO 110 0.58 4.85 $ 26.75 $ 55,640
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 880 0.14 1.18 $ 26.07 $ 54,220
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 90 0.07 0.57 $ 23.99 $ 49,890
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 380 0.14 1.15 $ 23.42 $ 48,710
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 200 0.07 0.54 $ 23.18 $ 48,210
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 280 0.18 1.49 $ 22.58 $ 46,970
Boise City, ID 50 0.13 1.10 $ 22.24 $ 46,260


About May 2023 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2023 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 3, 2024