Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

51-9083 Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians

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 estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
27,630 4.0 % $14.38 $29,920 1.1 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $8.95 $10.77 $13.82 $17.36 $21.09
Annual Wage (2) $18,620 $22,400 $28,750 $36,110 $43,870


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Health and Personal Care Stores 8,290 0.84 $13.59 $28,270
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 4,000 0.58 $13.93 $28,980
Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 2,310 0.38 $14.13 $29,390
Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing 2,260 2.46 $17.52 $36,440
Offices of Physicians 2,130 0.09 $16.63 $34,590

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing 2,260 2.46 $17.52 $36,440
Health and Personal Care Stores 8,290 0.84 $13.59 $28,270
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 4,000 0.58 $13.93 $28,980
Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 2,310 0.38 $14.13 $29,390
Offices of Physicians 2,130 0.09 $16.63 $34,590

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 60 (7) $21.37 $44,460
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 100 (7) $20.83 $43,320
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing 40 0.01 $20.11 $41,820
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 70 (7) $19.89 $41,370
Outpatient Care Centers 170 0.03 $18.07 $37,580


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Florida 2,840 0.40 1.85 $15.52 $32,280
Texas 2,170 0.21 0.98 $11.44 $23,800
California 2,130 0.15 0.71 $14.66 $30,490
New York 2,110 0.25 1.16 $13.79 $28,690
Georgia 1,250 0.33 1.54 $12.93 $26,900




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Rhode Island 240 0.53 2.44 $13.73 $28,570
Florida 2,840 0.40 1.85 $15.52 $32,280
Minnesota 960 0.37 1.72 $13.72 $28,540
Colorado 790 0.36 1.69 $16.64 $34,610
Georgia 1,250 0.33 1.54 $12.93 $26,900




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Massachusetts 480 0.15 0.71 $18.54 $38,550
Vermont 40 0.12 0.56 $17.85 $37,120
Connecticut 290 0.18 0.84 $17.81 $37,030
Maryland 470 0.19 0.89 $17.49 $36,380
Washington 680 0.25 1.16 $17.07 $35,510





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 1,030 0.74 3.45 $15.04 $31,280
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 1,000 0.20 0.92 $14.62 $30,400
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 900 0.41 1.88 $12.79 $26,600
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 770 0.70 3.24 $14.72 $30,620
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 640 0.76 3.54 $9.24 $19,210
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 630 0.27 1.27 $18.24 $37,940
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 620 0.30 1.40 $12.90 $26,830
Rochester, NY 600 1.23 5.72 $13.14 $27,320
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 590 0.35 1.60 $14.76 $30,710
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 590 0.16 0.76 $15.97 $33,210




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
St. Cloud, MN 310 3.24 15.06 $11.38 $23,660
Jonesboro, AR 70 1.50 6.97 $10.96 $22,800
Pueblo, CO 70 1.30 6.04 $19.00 $39,520
Rochester, NY 600 1.23 5.72 $13.14 $27,320
Portsmouth, NH-ME 70 1.20 5.56 $14.48 $30,130
Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna, WV-OH 50 0.81 3.74 $13.41 $27,890
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 640 0.76 3.54 $9.24 $19,210
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 1,030 0.74 3.45 $15.04 $31,280
Boulder, CO 110 0.72 3.34 $16.75 $34,850
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 770 0.70 3.24 $14.72 $30,620




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, MA-NH NECTA Division (8) (8) (8) $32.70 $68,020
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 60 0.15 0.71 $22.83 $47,490
Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD Metropolitan Division (8) (8) (8) $21.34 $44,390
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY (8) (8) (8) $19.28 $40,110
Pueblo, CO 70 1.30 6.04 $19.00 $39,520
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 450 0.33 1.51 $18.97 $39,450
Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville, SC 50 0.17 0.77 $18.70 $38,900
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 630 0.27 1.27 $18.24 $37,940
New Haven, CT (8) (8) (8) $17.49 $36,380
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL (8) (8) (8) $17.46 $36,310

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area 80 0.43 1.98 $12.89 $26,800
South Georgia nonmetropolitan area 50 0.26 1.23 $10.54 $21,910
West Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 40 0.28 1.28 $14.22 $29,580
Northeastern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 40 0.28 1.29 $12.85 $26,730
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 40 0.34 1.59 $17.85 $37,120

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area 80 0.43 1.98 $12.89 $26,800
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 40 0.34 1.59 $17.85 $37,120
Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 30 0.33 1.55 $13.49 $28,060
Northeastern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 40 0.28 1.29 $12.85 $26,730
West Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 40 0.28 1.28 $14.22 $29,580

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 40 0.34 1.59 $17.85 $37,120
Northwestern Virginia nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $15.10 $31,410
West Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 40 0.28 1.28 $14.22 $29,580
Northeast Florida nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $14.18 $29,490
East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $13.65 $28,390


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012