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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

29-2057 Ophthalmic Medical Technicians

Assist ophthalmologists by performing ophthalmic clinical functions. May administer eye exams, administer eye medications, and instruct the patient in care and use of corrective lenses.


National estimates for Ophthalmic Medical Technicians
Industry profile for Ophthalmic Medical Technicians
Geographic profile for Ophthalmic Medical Technicians

National estimates for Ophthalmic Medical Technicians:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Ophthalmic Medical Technicians:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
59,960 3.5 % $ 19.24 $ 40,010 0.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for Ophthalmic Medical Technicians:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 12.42 $ 14.92 $ 18.24 $ 22.83 $ 27.84
Annual Wage (2) $ 25,830 $ 31,030 $ 37,940 $ 47,490 $ 57,900


Industry profile for Ophthalmic Medical Technicians:

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

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Ophthalmic Medical Technicians:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Physicians 37,480 1.45 $ 19.78 $ 41,150
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 14,810 1.64 $ 16.24 $ 33,770
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 2,460 0.04 $ 23.50 $ 48,890
Health and Personal Care Stores 1,620 0.17 $ 15.69 $ 32,630
Outpatient Care Centers 1,480 0.15 $ 25.24 $ 52,490

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Ophthalmic Medical Technicians:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 14,810 1.64 $ 16.24 $ 33,770
Offices of Physicians 37,480 1.45 $ 19.78 $ 41,150
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 540 0.20 $ 22.44 $ 46,680
Health and Personal Care Stores 1,620 0.17 $ 15.69 $ 32,630
Outpatient Care Centers 1,480 0.15 $ 25.24 $ 52,490

Top paying industries for Ophthalmic Medical Technicians:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Management of Companies and Enterprises 240 0.01 $ 28.51 $ 59,310
Outpatient Care Centers 1,480 0.15 $ 25.24 $ 52,490
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 750 0.02 $ 24.44 $ 50,840
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 2,460 0.04 $ 23.50 $ 48,890
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 540 0.20 $ 22.44 $ 46,680


Geographic profile for Ophthalmic Medical Technicians:

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





States with the highest employment level in Ophthalmic Medical Technicians:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 5,660 0.47 1.08 $ 16.53 $ 34,390
Florida 4,590 0.54 1.26 $ 19.69 $ 40,950
California 4,460 0.27 0.63 $ 22.65 $ 47,110
New York 4,150 0.48 1.11 $ 18.64 $ 38,760
Illinois 2,920 0.52 1.21 $ 20.73 $ 43,110




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Ophthalmic Medical Technicians:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Idaho 610 0.85 1.97 $ 20.03 $ 41,660
North Dakota 290 0.72 1.68 $ 18.82 $ 39,150
Nebraska 650 0.69 1.61 $ 17.36 $ 36,100
North Carolina 2,760 0.64 1.49 $ 18.24 $ 37,940
Arizona 1,820 0.64 1.49 $ 17.28 $ 35,950




Top paying states for Ophthalmic Medical Technicians:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Minnesota 960 0.35 0.82 $ 25.29 $ 52,600
Massachusetts 1,530 0.46 1.06 $ 24.60 $ 51,180
Alaska (8) (8) (8) $ 24.46 $ 50,880
New Jersey 2,370 0.63 1.46 $ 23.24 $ 48,340
Rhode Island 80 0.18 0.41 $ 23.19 $ 48,230





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Ophthalmic Medical Technicians:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 4,940 0.56 1.30 $ 20.50 $ 42,640
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 2,180 0.50 1.16 $ 20.28 $ 42,190
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 1,950 0.78 1.80 $ 21.69 $ 45,120
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,640 0.46 1.06 $ 16.77 $ 34,880
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 1,380 0.66 1.52 $ 16.38 $ 34,080
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,270 0.22 0.51 $ 21.67 $ 45,070
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,190 0.46 1.06 $ 25.26 $ 52,540
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 1,120 0.38 0.87 $ 17.14 $ 35,650
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 1,100 0.90 2.10 $ 19.38 $ 40,300
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN 730 0.75 1.75 $ 18.29 $ 38,030




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Ophthalmic Medical Technicians:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Bloomington, IL 170 2.01 4.66 $ 20.95 $ 43,580
Glens Falls, NY 90 1.98 4.60 $ 19.64 $ 40,840
Tyler, TX 170 1.75 4.07 $ 18.37 $ 38,220
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA 390 1.67 3.87 $ 20.34 $ 42,300
Medford, OR 140 1.65 3.82 $ 18.07 $ 37,580
Boise City, ID 550 1.63 3.79 $ 20.72 $ 43,100
Pueblo, CO 90 1.48 3.43 $ 17.20 $ 35,780
Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH 50 1.47 3.40 $ 15.90 $ 33,070
Wilmington, NC 170 1.38 3.19 $ 17.49 $ 36,370
Evansville, IN-KY 200 1.36 3.15 $ 16.03 $ 33,350




Top paying metropolitan areas for Ophthalmic Medical Technicians:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 550 0.24 0.55 $ 32.36 $ 67,300
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (8) (8) (8) $ 27.50 $ 57,190
Duluth, MN-WI (8) (8) (8) $ 27.02 $ 56,200
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 610 0.33 0.76 $ 26.98 $ 56,110
New Bedford, MA (8) (8) (8) $ 25.68 $ 53,400
Grand Junction, CO (8) (8) (8) $ 25.31 $ 52,640
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,190 0.46 1.06 $ 25.26 $ 52,540
Chattanooga, TN-GA 140 0.57 1.31 $ 25.03 $ 52,060
Bakersfield, CA (8) (8) (8) $ 24.42 $ 50,800
Modesto, CA (8) (8) (8) $ 24.12 $ 50,180

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Ophthalmic Medical Technicians:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 190 1.22 2.84 $ 13.59 $ 28,270
Northern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 170 1.13 2.61 $ 13.74 $ 28,570
Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 120 0.66 1.52 $ 18.83 $ 39,170
Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 110 0.60 1.39 $ 21.73 $ 45,200
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 110 0.39 0.91 $ 14.36 $ 29,880

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Ophthalmic Medical Technicians:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 190 1.22 2.84 $ 13.59 $ 28,270
Northern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 170 1.13 2.61 $ 13.74 $ 28,570
Northwest Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 30 0.89 2.06 $ 15.15 $ 31,510
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 70 0.81 1.87 $ 19.00 $ 39,520
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 90 0.78 1.82 $ 18.87 $ 39,260

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Ophthalmic Medical Technicians:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 90 0.60 1.38 $ 24.57 $ 51,110
Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 110 0.60 1.39 $ 21.73 $ 45,200
West Central-Southwest New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 50 0.55 1.29 $ 21.43 $ 44,580
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 40 0.40 0.92 $ 20.79 $ 43,240
Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 50 0.41 0.94 $ 20.17 $ 41,960


About May 2020 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 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.

(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 OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021