Optical Technicians

Median Salary: $28,200

Many optical technicians across the U.S. share a handful of key professional traits. For example, integrity, dependability, and independence can be critical for success in the industry, especially when coupled with career training. Around 30,580 people were working as optical technicians nationwide in 2009. With that much workplace competition, it's crucial to hone these characteristics and receive solid training, particularly if you're preparing to move forward in the field.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual income for optical technicians in the U.S. was $28,200 in 2009, which works out to a median hourly wage of $13.60. Of course, income can vary with training and by location. Below, you'll find more data about optical technicians, including wages and job density for metro areas all over the U.S..

Optical technicians should be skilled in:

Control Precision
Arm-Hand Steadiness
Manual Dexterity
Speech Recognition
Perceptual Speed

Different people go into different careers; optical technicians are typically:

Realistic
Conventional

Working as an optical technician requires knowledge in subjects like:

Customer and Personal Service
Mathematics

Related Occupations

« Return to Career Information

Below, you'll see links to more information on the top cities for this occupation (based on the number of people working as optical technicians). Note: "Job density" refers to the proportion of optical technicians in each city as compared to the national average.

Alabama
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Birmingham	NA	$22,200	$10.70	$28,500	$13.70	NA
Huntsville	NA	$22,200	$10.70	$26,500	$12.70	NA
Montgomery	30	$30,600	$14.70	$36,000	$17.30	-8.5%

Arizona
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Phoenix	770	$28,500	$13.70	$38,600	$18.60	85.9%
Tucson	120	$32,000	$15.40	$39,800	$19.10	40.6%

California
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Fresno	NA	$30,000	$14.40	$37,200	$17.90	NA
Los Angeles (Area)	NA	$27,700	$13.30	$32,500	$15.60	NA
Modesto	80	$27,000	$13.00	$32,600	$15.70	131.6%
Oakland	150	$32,200	$15.50	$42,400	$20.40	-34.2%
Oxnard	NA	$32,100	$15.40	$38,700	$18.60	NA
Riverside	60	$33,800	$16.20	$36,900	$17.70	-79.9%
Sacramento	50	$33,500	$16.10	$37,100	$17.80	-75.6%
San Diego	NA	$31,800	$15.30	$39,800	$19.10	NA
San Francisco (Area)	NA	$34,100	$16.40	$43,300	$20.80	NA
San Francisco (City)	NA	$36,100	$17.40	$44,200	$21.20	NA
San Jose	NA	$33,100	$15.90	$46,300	$22.30	NA

Colorado
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Boulder	150	$40,800	$19.60	$55,600	$26.70	317.5%
Denver	NA	$36,000	$17.30	$44,400	$21.30	NA

Connecticut
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Bridgeport	100	NA	NA	NA	NA	4.7%
Hartford	140	$30,200	$14.50	$38,800	$18.70	9%

District of Columbia
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Washington (Area)	420	$30,900	$14.90	$36,100	$17.40	-32.5%

Florida
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Bradenton	150	$28,300	$13.60	$31,500	$15.10	154.3%
Cape Coral	NA	$29,000	$14.00	$33,800	$16.20	NA
Deltona	50	$30,000	$14.40	$32,800	$15.70	38.5%
Fort Walton Beach	40	$32,600	$15.70	$38,000	$18.30	100.9%
Jacksonville	150	$30,300	$14.60	$35,900	$17.30	12.4%
Lakeland	NA	$23,800	$11.40	$36,400	$17.50	NA
Miami (Area)	960	$29,400	$14.10	$33,100	$15.90	85.9%
Naples	NA	$23,200	$11.20	$24,800	$11.90	NA
Ocala	40	$24,900	$12.00	$28,700	$13.80	90.2%
Orlando	130	$27,100	$13.00	$31,600	$15.20	-45.7%
Palm Bay	60	$27,800	$13.40	$31,800	$15.30	23.9%
Pensacola	50	$25,700	$12.30	$29,000	$13.90	46.6%
Tallahassee	40	$26,900	$13.00	$38,700	$18.60	9%
Tampa	1,070	$25,500	$12.30	$31,000	$14.90	305.6%

Georgia
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Atlanta	690	$25,700	$12.30	$30,300	$14.60	29.1%
Augusta	30	$26,400	$12.70	$30,900	$14.90	-35.9%
Columbus	30	$25,000	$12.00	$29,900	$14.40	23.9%

Hawaii
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Honolulu	120	$24,500	$11.80	$34,200	$16.40	17.9%

Idaho
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Boise City	NA	$21,900	$10.50	$36,200	$17.40	NA

Illinois
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Chicago (Area)	NA	$39,200	$18.80	$45,300	$21.80	NA
Decatur	30	$28,300	$13.60	$36,500	$17.60	126.1%
Springfield	50	$24,600	$11.80	$29,700	$14.30	97%

Indiana
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Evansville	80	$25,200	$12.10	$32,400	$15.60	103.8%
Indianapolis	NA	$31,700	$15.20	$36,200	$17.40	NA

Iowa
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Des Moines	70	$27,400	$13.20	$35,200	$16.90	-8.5%

Kansas
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Topeka	80	$25,200	$12.10	$29,800	$14.30	200.4%
Wichita	70	$29,900	$14.40	$35,200	$16.90	6.8%

Kentucky
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Lexington	70	$24,800	$11.90	$30,100	$14.50	30.3%
Louisville	50	$28,800	$13.90	$33,600	$16.20	-66.2%

Louisiana
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Baton Rouge	130	$25,500	$12.20	$30,600	$14.70	52.6%
Houma	NA	$26,100	$12.50	$30,700	$14.80	NA
New Orleans	NA	$24,900	$12.00	$28,900	$13.90	NA

Maryland
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Baltimore	120	$33,300	$16.00	$43,700	$21.00	-58.1%

Massachusetts
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Boston (Area)	180	NA	NA	NA	NA	91.9%
Springfield	160	$31,200	$15.00	$41,000	$19.70	144%

Michigan
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Ann Arbor	80	$43,500	$20.90	$50,700	$24.40	79.5%
Detroit (Area)	NA	$28,500	$13.70	$35,100	$16.90	NA

Minnesota
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Duluth	NA	$19,900	$9.60	$27,600	$13.30	NA
Minneapolis	680	$34,400	$16.50	$39,700	$19.10	67.5%
St. Cloud	150	$24,100	$11.60	$28,700	$13.80	578.6%

Mississippi
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Jackson	NA	$26,000	$12.50	$29,400	$14.20	NA
Pascagoula	50	$28,700	$13.80	$31,700	$15.20	264.1%

Missouri
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Kansas City	480	$30,000	$14.40	$37,200	$17.90	109%
Springfield	80	$23,400	$11.30	$29,300	$14.10	83.3%
St. Louis	380	$28,400	$13.60	$37,100	$17.80	23.5%

Nebraska
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Omaha	170	$23,000	$11.00	$26,600	$12.80	59.4%

New Jersey
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Trenton	NA	$29,200	$14.10	$32,300	$15.50	NA

New Mexico
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Albuquerque	160	$35,600	$17.10	$43,600	$20.90	75.2%

New York
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Albany	170	$40,000	$19.20	$43,700	$21.00	69.7%
Buffalo	NA	$24,000	$11.60	$35,200	$16.90	NA
New York (Area)	1,440	$32,000	$15.40	$40,200	$19.30	6.4%
Poughkeepsie	NA	$38,800	$18.60	$47,100	$22.60	NA
Rochester	NA	$36,600	$17.60	$42,400	$20.40	NA
Syracuse	NA	$36,700	$17.60	$40,300	$19.40	NA

North Carolina
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Charlotte	140	$28,000	$13.50	$35,100	$16.90	-26.9%

Ohio
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Akron	NA	$26,500	$12.70	$32,500	$15.60	NA
Cincinnati	270	$31,400	$15.10	$40,400	$19.40	16.2%
Cleveland	150	$30,400	$14.60	$39,500	$19.00	-36.3%
Dayton	NA	$26,800	$12.90	$34,400	$16.50	NA
Toledo	40	$27,000	$13.00	$36,200	$17.40	-38%

Oklahoma
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Oklahoma City	NA	$19,900	$9.60	$24,700	$11.90	NA
Tulsa	150	$22,600	$10.90	$26,400	$12.70	49.1%

Oregon
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Portland	270	$33,200	$16.00	$38,600	$18.60	15.8%

Pennsylvania
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Allentown	90	$33,300	$16.00	$38,200	$18.40	10.7%
Altoona	NA	$25,600	$12.30	$31,100	$14.90	NA
Harrisburg	110	$30,500	$14.70	$38,200	$18.40	50%
Lancaster	110	$25,200	$12.10	$32,900	$15.80	107.3%
Philadelphia (Area)	NA	$29,200	$14.00	$36,000	$17.30	NA
Pittsburgh	220	$30,700	$14.80	$34,000	$16.30	-17.1%
York	90	$27,300	$13.10	$31,600	$15.20	120.5%

Rhode Island
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Providence	210	$29,800	$14.30	$36,400	$17.50	62%

South Carolina
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Charleston	NA	$36,600	$17.60	$39,400	$18.90	NA
Columbia	NA	$24,000	$11.50	$32,200	$15.50	NA
Florence	NA	$22,300	$10.70	$24,500	$11.80	NA
Greenville	210	$31,700	$15.20	$36,500	$17.50	199.1%

South Dakota
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Sioux Falls	40	$28,000	$13.50	$30,600	$14.70	30.3%

Tennessee
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Chattanooga	NA	$23,600	$11.30	$28,500	$13.70	NA
Clarksville	NA	$24,400	$11.70	$28,200	$13.60	NA
Johnson City	40	$20,500	$9.80	$24,900	$12.00	101.7%
Kingsport	60	$25,500	$12.30	$31,000	$14.90	113.2%
Knoxville	50	$21,600	$10.40	$23,900	$11.50	-31.6%
Memphis	160	$29,500	$14.20	$36,800	$17.70	9.4%
Nashville	160	$22,800	$11.00	$25,700	$12.40	-6.8%

Texas
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Austin	NA	$24,800	$11.90	$30,100	$14.50	NA
Dallas (Area)	1,030	$23,600	$11.30	$27,900	$13.40	41.5%
El Paso	90	$18,900	$9.10	$23,500	$11.30	43.2%
Houston	410	$24,400	$11.70	$33,000	$15.90	-30.8%
San Antonio	380	$19,700	$9.50	$24,700	$11.90	96.2%

Virginia
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Richmond	30	$35,100	$16.90	$40,600	$19.50	-75.6%
Roanoke	30	$23,700	$11.40	$28,600	$13.80	-9.4%
Virginia Beach	660	$20,400	$9.80	$32,800	$15.80	283.8%

Washington
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Seattle (Area)	NA	$28,600	$13.80	$35,700	$17.10	NA
Spokane	50	$35,600	$17.10	$50,900	$24.50	-2.6%

West Virginia
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Parkersburg	50	$23,900	$11.50	$30,900	$14.80	194%

Wisconsin
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Green Bay	120	$31,900	$15.30	$35,700	$17.20	205.1%
Madison	40	$35,000	$16.80	$39,600	$19.10	-43.2%
Milwaukee	230	$28,700	$13.80	$37,000	$17.80	17.9%