51
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians is a notable career in the 51 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
Education Administrators, All Other
11
Personal Service Managers, All Other
11
Managers, All Other
11
Buyers and Purchasing Agents
13
Business Operations Specialists, All Other
13
| soc | 51-9083 |
| title | Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians |
| onet code | 51-9083.00 |
| description | 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. |
| job zone | 2 |
| major group | 51 |
| tot emp | 18,740 |
| a mean | 41,760 |
| a median | 38,420 |
| a pct10 | 31,250 |
| a pct25 | 35,580 |
| a pct75 | 45,410 |
| a pct90 | 55,480 |
| h mean | 20 |
| h median | 18 |
The day-to-day work of a ophthalmic laboratory technicians typically centers on mount and secure lens blanks or optical lenses in holding tools or chucks of cutting, polishing, grinding, or coating machines. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Operation and Control, Quality Control Analysis, and Operations Monitoring. Across the top 8 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.08 out of 5 — moderately weighted for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working ophthalmic laboratory technicians, the most common entry qualification is a High School Diploma (56.4%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 0% of incumbents. Most workers enter without a four-year degree, making this a relatively accessible career path.
Median annual pay is highest in Connecticut at $60,700 and lowest in Mississippi at $28,930 — a 2.1× spread. The top five states (Connecticut, Idaho, California, Washington, Michigan) average $51,230. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | $60,700 | $75,430 | $47,800 | $126,460 | 200 |
| Idaho | $50,880 | $49,320 | $36,240 | $70,570 | 60 |
| California | $49,430 | $54,400 | $38,040 | $77,450 | 1,470 |
| Washington | $47,860 | $48,450 | $40,030 | $62,900 | 280 |
| Michigan | $47,280 | $43,680 | $36,550 | $47,860 | 260 |
| Colorado | $46,320 | $46,910 | $36,910 | $57,930 | 340 |
| Maryland | $45,620 | $49,330 | $38,030 | $58,510 | 330 |
| Oregon | $45,580 | $45,740 | $36,730 | $58,910 | 220 |
| New Hampshire | $44,450 | $51,050 | $34,810 | $71,680 | 140 |
| Wisconsin | $44,370 | $43,830 | $35,940 | $57,140 | 270 |
| Georgia | $44,000 | $43,040 | $33,030 | $56,070 | 1,040 |
| Arizona | $43,090 | $43,570 | $34,240 | $50,730 | 240 |
| Massachusetts | $42,770 | $46,750 | $36,400 | $55,480 | — |
| Ohio | $42,760 | $42,430 | $35,140 | $52,310 | 220 |
| Nebraska | $40,670 | $41,770 | $39,320 | $47,400 | — |
| Minnesota | $40,500 | $41,620 | $32,960 | $49,270 | 1,020 |
| Montana | $38,690 | $38,950 | $35,650 | $43,180 | 70 |
| Nevada | $38,690 | $39,840 | $32,960 | $49,460 | 270 |
| South Carolina | $38,570 | $42,780 | $27,530 | $70,660 | 140 |
| Indiana | $38,280 | $40,210 | $30,470 | $56,950 | 390 |
| Arkansas | $38,090 | $38,600 | $29,380 | $47,620 | 200 |
| Virginia | $38,080 | $42,080 | $32,580 | $59,630 | 410 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,940 | $40,240 | $30,500 | $52,540 | 450 |
| Missouri | $37,480 | $42,780 | $32,840 | $60,410 | 350 |
| Texas | $37,350 | $36,920 | $30,490 | $43,300 | 3,650 |
| New Mexico | $37,180 | $36,460 | $29,240 | $45,630 | 140 |
| Illinois | $37,170 | $38,810 | $31,260 | $49,130 | 560 |
| New York | $37,030 | $39,940 | $32,090 | $49,450 | 1,420 |
| Tennessee | $36,610 | $41,430 | $31,830 | $64,480 | 200 |
| Florida | $36,450 | $38,430 | $31,290 | $46,770 | 1,770 |
| Louisiana | $36,360 | $37,250 | $30,030 | $49,020 | 340 |
| North Carolina | $36,120 | $41,190 | $29,790 | $58,920 | 420 |
| Oklahoma | $35,940 | $38,620 | $31,760 | $54,350 | 140 |
| Kentucky | $35,500 | $36,740 | $29,780 | $45,670 | 460 |
| Alabama | $34,820 | $34,740 | $25,700 | $51,960 | 180 |
| Kansas | $34,700 | $36,190 | $30,500 | $42,780 | — |
| New Jersey | $34,680 | $36,030 | $31,470 | $41,200 | — |
| Iowa | $33,770 | $36,300 | $29,370 | $50,960 | 190 |
| Mississippi | $28,930 | $32,190 | $25,290 | $39,110 | 120 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for ophthalmic laboratory technicians. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Artificial Glass Eye Maker or Artificial Plastic Eye Maker frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians compares to others in the 51 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.