Optical Scientist | Salary & Job Information

Becoming an Optical Scientist via Online Education?

At the very least, online education can help you lay a foundation and/or open up alternate career paths. Penn Foster Career School is a US school (accredited) offering optical sciences courses to train individuals to become top-notch optical scientists, opticians, eye doctors, optics professionals, certified opticians, optical technicians, etc. Currently, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics there are 60,840 people employed as opticians, dispensing alone in America, and their average annual salary is $34,790. Optometrists make on average $106,960 per year and there are about 26,480 of them employed today. Colleges and universities like Penn Foster Career School that provide online education are successfully launching workers into this field.

Optical Scientist Salary Information

Category: Optometrists

Total # Employed in the US 26,480
Average Hourly Wage: $51.42/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$23.19 $34.23 $46.22 $60.63 $0.0
Average Yearly Salary $106,960
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$48,240 $71,190 $96,140 $126,110 $0
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
0.1% 0.9% 1.0% 0.4% 0.9% 1.1% 95.7%
Optometrists — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Massachusetts $68.53/hr $142,550
Wisconsin $65.97/hr $137,220
Maine $62.22/hr $129,420
South Carolina $61.08/hr $127,040
Oregon $60.33/hr $125,490
Nebraska $58.57/hr $121,830
Arkansas $57.4/hr $119,380
Wyoming $56.88/hr $118,300
Maryland $56.67/hr $117,880
North Carolina $56.47/hr $117,460
Alaska $54.87/hr $114,120
Montana $54.61/hr $113,580
Oklahoma $54.43/hr $113,220
Pennsylvania $54.14/hr $112,610
Hawaii $53.97/hr $112,260
West Virginia $53.77/hr $111,830
North Dakota $53.46/hr $111,210
Missouri $53.21/hr $110,670
Michigan $52.13/hr $108,430
Virginia $51.92/hr $108,000
Delaware $51.65/hr $107,430
Mississippi $50.6/hr $105,250
Utah $49.63/hr $103,230
New Mexico $49.22/hr $102,370
Colorado $48.92/hr $101,750
Kansas $48.7/hr $101,300
Guam $48.55/hr $100,980
Ohio $48.05/hr $99,940
Kentucky $47.93/hr $99,690
New Hampshire $47.51/hr $98,810
Washington $46.87/hr $97,480
Florida $46.74/hr $97,220
Puerto Rico $46.34/hr $96,390
Louisiana $45.81/hr $95,270
Alabama $45.13/hr $93,870
South Dakota $44.76/hr $93,110
Indiana $44.29/hr $92,120
New York $43.81/hr $91,130
Idaho $43.14/hr $89,730
Nevada $42.98/hr $89,390
Connecticut $41.65/hr $86,640
Tennessee $36.63/hr $76,190
California $36.06/hr $75,000
District of Columbia $35.71/hr $74,270
Iowa $33.74/hr $70,170
New Jersey $29.51/hr $61,380


Category: Therapists, all other

Total # Employed in the US 13,440
Average Hourly Wage: $26.16/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$13.66 $18.23 $24.7 $31.96 $39.9
Average Yearly Salary $54,400
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$28,400 $37,920 $51,370 $66,470 $82,980
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
0.8% 4.5% 5.7% 6.9% 23.6% 51.9% 6.4%
Therapists, all other — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
New York $34.84/hr $72,470
Maryland $34.48/hr $71,720
Oklahoma $32.9/hr $68,440
Delaware $32.01/hr $66,570
Indiana $31.17/hr $64,830
Hawaii $30.97/hr $64,430
Virginia $29.3/hr $60,950
Massachusetts $28.9/hr $60,120
North Dakota $28.64/hr $59,580
Connecticut $27.93/hr $58,090
Iowa $27.88/hr $57,990
Nebraska $27.76/hr $57,740
Missouri $27.11/hr $56,400
Montana $26.78/hr $55,700
South Carolina $25.79/hr $53,650
Utah $25.26/hr $52,530
Wyoming $25.2/hr $52,420
Tennessee $25.15/hr $52,300
California $25/hr $51,990
Wisconsin $24.58/hr $51,130
District of Columbia $24.48/hr $50,930
North Carolina $24.39/hr $50,730
New Hampshire $24.1/hr $50,140
Louisiana $23.98/hr $49,880
Maine $23.6/hr $49,080
Colorado $23.55/hr $48,980
Alabama $22.76/hr $47,340
Mississippi $22.22/hr $46,220
Oregon $22.01/hr $45,790
Arkansas $21.94/hr $45,640
Idaho $21.81/hr $45,360
Kansas $21.68/hr $45,090
Michigan $20.14/hr $41,880
Kentucky $18.98/hr $39,480
South Dakota $18.59/hr $38,660
Florida $16.99/hr $35,330
New Mexico $16.11/hr $33,520


Category: Opticians, dispensing

Total # Employed in the US 60,840
Average Hourly Wage: $16.73/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$10.16 $12.54 $15.74 $20.03 $24.31
Average Yearly Salary $34,790
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$21,120 $26,070 $32,740 $41,660 $50,560
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
2.7% 28.3% 34.6% 17.8% 13.7% 1.1% 1.7%
Opticians, dispensing — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Delaware $25.09/hr $52,180
Missouri $23.89/hr $49,690
North Dakota $23.62/hr $49,130
Oklahoma $22.09/hr $45,940
Indiana $20.34/hr $42,310
Virginia $19.17/hr $39,870
Alaska $18.89/hr $39,290
North Carolina $18.47/hr $38,410
New York $18.19/hr $37,830
Colorado $18.01/hr $37,460
Hawaii $17.87/hr $37,170
District of Columbia $17.51/hr $36,420
Oregon $17.49/hr $36,380
Nebraska $17.38/hr $36,140
Tennessee $17.28/hr $35,950
Connecticut $17.15/hr $35,660
Puerto Rico $17.04/hr $35,440
Florida $17/hr $35,360
Mississippi $16.99/hr $35,340
Idaho $16.88/hr $35,110
South Carolina $16.47/hr $34,250
Washington $16.21/hr $33,720
Maryland $16.08/hr $33,450
Utah $15.78/hr $32,820
Arkansas $15.68/hr $32,620
Michigan $15.63/hr $32,520
Wisconsin $15.52/hr $32,290
Montana $15.48/hr $32,210
Guam $14.76/hr $30,700
Ohio $14.67/hr $30,520
Alabama $14.63/hr $30,430
Kansas $14.46/hr $30,090
Massachusetts $14.35/hr $29,850
Nevada $14.05/hr $29,220
California $13.79/hr $28,680
New Jersey $13.53/hr $28,150
Pennsylvania $13.5/hr $28,070
Kentucky $13.4/hr $27,870
West Virginia $13.35/hr $27,760
Louisiana $13.32/hr $27,700
Wyoming $13.28/hr $27,630
New Hampshire $12.78/hr $26,580
Iowa $12.59/hr $26,190
Maine $12.58/hr $26,170
New Mexico $12.39/hr $25,760
South Dakota $11.54/hr $24,000


Category: Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapists

Total # Employed in the US 97,840
Average Hourly Wage: $33.98/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$21.8 $27.51 $33.48 $40.46 $48.28
Average Yearly Salary $70,680
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$45,340 $57,230 $69,630 $84,150 $100,430
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
0.2% 0.5% 0.9% 8.6% 55.5% 31.1% 3.2%


Optical Sciences Programs by State & City