Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-9083

Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians

Median pay sits 47% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Nuclear Power Reactor Operators, Plant and System Operators, All Other, Power Plant Operators, Chemical Plant and System Operators).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($123K) , Plant and System Operators, All Other ($62K) , Power Plant Operators ($102K) , Chemical Plant and System Operators ($78K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-9083 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Mount and secure lens blanks or optical lenses in holding tools or chucks of cutting, polishing, grinding, or coating machines
  2. 2. Inspect lens blanks to detect flaws, verify smoothness of surface, and ensure thickness of coating on lenses
  3. 3. Set up machines to polish, bevel, edge, or grind lenses, flats, blanks, or other precision optical elements
  4. 4. Inspect, weigh, and measure mounted or unmounted lenses after completion to verify alignment and conformance to specifications, using pre…
  5. 5. Shape lenses appropriately so that they can be inserted into frames
  6. 6. Clean finished lenses and eyeglasses, using cloths and solvents
  7. 7. Mount, secure, and align finished lenses in frames or optical assemblies, using precision hand tools
  8. 8. Examine prescriptions, work orders, or broken or used eyeglasses to determine specifications for lenses, contact lenses, or other optical…
  9. 9. Adjust lenses and frames to correct alignment
  10. 10. Select lens blanks, molds, tools, and polishing or grinding wheels, according to production specifications
  11. 11. Position and adjust cutting tools to specified curvature, dimensions, and depth of cut
  12. 12. Assemble eyeglass frames and attach shields, nose pads, and temple pieces, using pliers, screwdrivers, and drills

Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians: O*NET ranks Operation and Control first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-9083 - lead skill Operation and Control at 3.3 ; lead knowledge Production and Processing. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operation and Control 3.3
  2. 2. Operations Monitoring 3.1
  3. 3. Quality Control Analysis 3.1
  4. 4. Time Management 3.1
  5. 5. Reading Comprehension 3.0
  6. 6. Critical Thinking 3.0
  7. 7. Monitoring 3.0
  8. 8. Judgment and Decision Making 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Production and Processing 3.9
  2. 2. Mechanical 3.4
  3. 3. Mathematics 3.3
  4. 4. Customer and Personal Service 3.1
  5. 5. Administration and Management 3.0
  6. 6. English Language 3.0
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-47%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $39,460/yr
$39K
National median
↑ +2%
Growth 2024-2034
2,400
Annual openings
18,660
Estimated US jobs
Nuclear Power Reactor Operators
Highest-pay peer · $123K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians

1. New Jersey $47,420
2. Colorado $48,540
3. Washington $49,230
4. Rhode Island $47,440
5. Connecticut $62,410
6. Oregon $45,780
7. New Hampshire $59,460
8. California $47,410
9. Maryland $47,100
10. Ohio $46,320

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Power Plant Operators $102,040
  2. 2. Chemical Plant and System Operators $78,120
  3. 3. Plant and System Operators, All Other $62,470
  4. 4. Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers $68,120
  5. 5. Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic $63,870
  6. 6. Nuclear Power Reactor Operators $122,890

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians sits 47% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $39,460.

Employment Projections expect +2% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 2,400 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: New Jersey at $47,420. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators at $122,890. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians pay-rank #91 in Production Occupations

On the Production Occupations median table (105 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians lands at #91, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians pays 47% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-9083

New Jersey · top state for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians

$47K published median

Colorado · #2 state pay

$49K · behind New Jersey

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators

Highest-pay peer vs Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians · $123K

Plant and System Operators, All Other

Lower-pay peer beside Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians · $62K

Compare Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians

Against another occupation

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians land on the Production Occupations median table? ▼
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians is pay-rank #91 of 105 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders ($40K), Food Processing Workers, All Other ($40K), Helpers--Production Workers ($39K), Production Workers, All Other ($40K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do ophthalmic laboratory technicians do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians. Leading ones include: 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 pre…. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for ophthalmic laboratory technicians? ▼
For SOC 51-9083, O*NET importance scores lead with Operation and Control (3.3), Operations Monitoring (3.1), Quality Control Analysis (3.1), Time Management (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Production and Processing, Mechanical, Mathematics. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $39,460 as the national median for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians. The published 10th-90th range is $33,530 to $57,380. Beside Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($122,890), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians is +2%. Projected annual openings: about 2,400. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians? ▼
New Jersey ($47,420), Colorado ($48,540), Washington ($49,230) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-9083. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics