The average salary for an optician in the United States is around $33,831 per year.
Avg Salary
Opticians earn an average yearly salary of $33,831.
Wages typically start from $22,923 and go up to $49,928.
47% below national average Updated in 2019
Optician earnings by seniority
Top-level optician earnings begin at:
$24.00 per hour
$49,928 per year
Senior-level optician earnings begin at:
$19.96 per hour
$41,522 per year
Mid-level optician earnings begin at:
$16.26 per hour
$33,831 per year
Junior-level optician earnings begin at:
$13.25 per hour
$27,564 per year
Starting level optician earnings begin at:
$11.02 per hour
$22,923 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Optician salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $57,450 |
| Massachusetts | $57,400 |
| New York | $54,730 |
| Connecticut | $53,880 |
| Rhode Island | $50,650 |
| District of Columbia | $46,650 |
| Virginia | $46,330 |
| Vermont | $46,140 |
| Alaska | $45,360 |
| Hawaii | $45,040 |
| Washington | $43,070 |
| New Hampshire | $41,040 |
| Kentucky | $40,340 |
| Ohio | $39,860 |
| North Carolina | $39,680 |
| Maryland | $39,400 |
| California | $39,310 |
| Oregon | $38,660 |
| Florida | $38,420 |
| Colorado | $38,270 |
| Maine | $38,060 |
| South Carolina | $37,910 |
| Minnesota | $37,900 |
| Illinois | $37,360 |
| Nevada | $37,010 |
| Tennessee | $36,770 |
| Arkansas | $35,890 |
| Delaware | $35,320 |
| Michigan | $35,190 |
| Texas | $34,690 |
| Wisconsin | $34,330 |
| Iowa | $33,560 |
| Pennsylvania | $33,231 |
| Georgia | $32,890 |
| Montana | $32,500 |
| Nebraska | $32,330 |
| North Dakota | $32,110 |
| Alabama | $30,961 |
| Louisiana | $30,930 |
| Missouri | $30,890 |
| Kansas | $30,800 |
| Idaho | $30,780 |
| Oklahoma | $30,410 |
| West Virginia | $30,360 |
| Arizona | $30,263 |
| South Dakota | $29,930 |
| New Mexico | $29,880 |
| Mississippi | $29,870 |
| Wyoming | $29,830 |
| Utah | $28,910 |
| Indiana | $28,183 |
| 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 the United States. On average, they make less than medical appliance technicians but more than veterinary technologists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Medical appliance technician salary | $41K |
| Community health worker salary | $39K |
| Endoscopy technician salary | $38K |
| Ophthalmic medical technician salary | $35K |
| Psychiatric technician salary | $35K |
| Optician salary | $34K |
| Medical transcriptionist salary | $32K |
| Dental assistant salary | $32K |
| Phlebotomist salary | $31K |
| Veterinary technologist salary | $30K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)