Optics Engineer Salary
$83K - $90.5K
1% of jobs
$90.5K - $98K
1% of jobs
$98K - $105.5K
0% of jobs
$105.5K - $113K
1% of jobs
$113K - $120.5K
0% of jobs
$125K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$120.5K - $128K
37% of jobs
The median wage is $131.1K / yr.
$128K - $135.5K
25% of jobs
$135.5K - $143K
1% of jobs
$143K - $150.5K
0% of jobs
$150.5K - $158K
0% of jobs
$160K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$158K - $165.5K
34% of jobs
$83K
$129K
$168K
$143,611
/year
$69.04
/hour
Optics Engineer Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$143,611
Columbus
Ohio
$138,713
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How much does an Optics Engineer make?
As of Jul 19, 2026, the average annual pay for an Optics Engineer in the United States is $143,611 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $69.04 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,761/week or $11,967/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $168,000 and as low as $83,000, the majority of Optics Engineer salaries currently range between $129,000 (25th percentile) to $167,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $167,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for an Optics Engineer varies greatly (by as much as 38000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
An Optics Engineer in your area makes on average $138,713 per year, or $4,898 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $143,611. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Optics Engineer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Optics Engineer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as an Optics Engineer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Optics Engineer Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an Optics Engineer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Nome, AK, , with Cupertino, CA, and Berkeley, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Berkeley, CA, beats the national average by $32,232 (22.4%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $34,537 (24.0%) above the $143,611 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as an Optics Engineer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 5% between Nome, AK, and Sunnyvale, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for an Optics Engineer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Nome, AK | $178,148 | $85.65 |
Cupertino, CA | $177,179 | $85.18 |
Berkeley, CA | $175,843 | $84.54 |
Sitka, AK | $173,005 | $83.18 |
Mountain View, CA | $169,415 | $81.45 |
Palo Alto, CA | $169,244 | $81.37 |
Menlo Park, CA | $169,239 | $81.36 |
San Francisco, CA | $169,198 | $81.35 |
Santa Clara, CA | $168,662 | $81.09 |
Sunnyvale, CA | $168,549 | $81.03 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Optics Engineer Jobs in the U.S.
Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Optics Engineer job category, we found that Software Engineer Internal Tools jobs have average salaries greater than Optics Engineer jobs.
Significantly, Software Engineer Internal Tools jobs pay $3,913 (2.7%) more than the average Optics Engineer salary of $143,611. If you're qualified, finding work as an Software Engineer Internal Tools may help you make more money than that of the average Optics Engineer position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Software Engineer Internal Tools | $147,524 | $70.92 |
Senior Theoretical Physicist | $94,805 | $45.58 |
Associate Design Engineer | $82,636 | $39.73 |
Automation Programmer | $80,664 | $38.78 |
Solidworks Operator | $37,148 | $17.86 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
