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 median · BLS
$39,460
▲ +2.71%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$43,190
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
18,660
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.
Pay range for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$33,530
25th
$36,470
Median (50th)
$39,460
75th
$47,010
90th — top pay
$57,380
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians
BLS projects employment of ophthalmic laboratory technicians to grow 2.2% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations.
About 2,200 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
18,600 → 19,000
+400 jobs
Projected change
+2.2%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
2,200
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
1% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians salaries by state
BLS state medians, plus the same figure adjusted for local prices (BEA Regional Price Parities). Tap a state for its full range and H-1B pay.
State
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
Profile
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians salaries by metro area
Search by city, ZIP code or metro name. Tap a metro for its full range.
Metro area
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
Profile
Skills & tools
Skills needed for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians
How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.
Top skills
Operation and Control3.3
Operations Monitoring3.1
Quality Control Analysis3.1
Time Management3.1
Critical Thinking3.0
Judgment and Decision Making3.0
Monitoring3.0
Reading Comprehension3.0
Active Listening2.9
Speaking2.9
Top knowledge areas
Production and Processing3.9
Mechanical3.4
Mathematics3.3
Customer and Personal Service3.1
Administration and Management3.0
English Language3.0
Computers and Electronics2.8
Education and Training2.7
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordSAP softwareElectronic medical record EMR softwareEyeglass design software
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What ophthalmic laboratory technicians do
Mount and secure lens blanks or optical lenses in holding tools or chucks of cutting, polishing, grinding, or coating machines.
Inspect lens blanks to detect flaws, verify smoothness of surface, and ensure thickness of coating on lenses.
Set up machines to polish, bevel, edge, or grind lenses, flats, blanks, or other precision optical elements.
Inspect, weigh, and measure mounted or unmounted lenses after completion to verify alignment and conformance to specifications, using precision instruments.
Shape lenses appropriately so that they can be inserted into frames.
Clean finished lenses and eyeglasses, using cloths and solvents.
Mount, secure, and align finished lenses in frames or optical assemblies, using precision hand tools.
Examine prescriptions, work orders, or broken or used eyeglasses to determine specifications for lenses, contact lenses, or other optical elements.
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $39,460.
