Salary

• As of 2009, an optician's average salary was $34,790 per year. Opticians in the 10th percentile earned $21,120 per year; those in the 25th percentile earned $26,070 per year; those in the 50th percentile earned $32,740 per year; those in the 75th percentile earned $41,660 per year; and those in the 90th percentile earned $50,560 per year, according to the BLS.
  
  

Salary by Location

• In 2009, the highest-paying states for an optician were Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Virginia and New York. Connecticut, the highest-paying state, paid 460 opticians average salaries of $52,180 per year. Massachusetts followed, employing 1,550 opticians at an average salary of $49,690 per year. New Jersey was the third highest paying state, where 1,350 opticians earned $49,130 per year on average. Virginia and New York rounded out the top five list. Virginia employed 1,880 opticians and yearly salaries averaged $46,540; New York employed 2,920 opticians and yearly salaries averaged $45,940, the BLS reports.
  
  

Salary by Industry

• In 2009, the highest-paying industries for an optician were employment services, general medical and surgical hospitals, outpatient care centers, medical equipment and supplies manufacturing and other general merchandise stores. Average yearly salaries in employment services, the highest-paying industry, were $47,320. In hospitals and outpatient care centers, salaries averaged $43,000 and $42,120 respectively. Opticians working in medical equipment and supplies manufacturing earned $39,520 per year; those working in other general merchandise stores earned $38,810 per year on average. Although it is not on the top five list, the most common industry for an optician to work in was "offices of other health practitioners," as about 40 percent of opticians work in optometrist's offices. Those who work in optometrists offices earned average salaries of $32,050, the BLS reports.
  
  

Employment Outlook

• In 2008, there were 59,800 opticians working in the United States. The BLS expects that number to increase by 8,000 to 67,800 opticians by 2018. This is a 13 percent increase, which is "about as fast as average" compared to other occupations, the BLS reports.