Stem Opt

Stem Opt Salary

$34K

$143K

$211.5K

$138,662

/year

$66.66

/hour

Stem Opt Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$138,662

Columbus

Ohio

$133,934

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    How much does a Stem Opt make?

    As of Sep 5, 2026, the average annual pay for a Stem Opt in the United States is $138,662 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $66.66 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,666/week or $11,555/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $211,500 and as low as $34,000, the majority of Stem Opt salaries currently range between $96,000 (25th percentile) to $178,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $196,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Stem Opt varies greatly (by as much as 82500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

    A Stem Opt in your area makes on average $133,934 per year, or $4,728 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $138,662. Ohio ranks number 31 out of 50 states nationwide for Stem Opt salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Stem Opt jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

    Find your next high paying job as a Stem Opt on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Stem Opt Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Stem Opt job is above the national average. Topping the list is Cupertino, CA, , with Berkeley, CA, and Sitka, AK, close behind in the second and third positions. Sitka, AK, beats the national average by $28,381 (20.5%), and Cupertino, CA, furthers that trend with another $32,412 (23.4%) above the $138,662 average.

    With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Stem Opt appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 4% between Cupertino, CA, and Santa Clara, 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 a Stem Opt role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Cupertino, CA

    $171,074

    $82.25

    Berkeley, CA

    $169,784

    $81.63

    Sitka, AK

    $167,043

    $80.31

    Lake Marcel-Stillwater, WA

    $166,458

    $80.03

    San Bruno, CA

    $165,658

    $79.64

    San Jose, CA

    $164,169

    $78.93

    Mountain View, CA

    $163,577

    $78.64

    Menlo Park, CA

    $163,408

    $78.56

    San Francisco, CA

    $163,368

    $78.54

    Santa Clara, CA

    $162,850

    $78.29

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Stem Opt Jobs in the U.S.

    Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Stem Opt job category, we found that Entry Level Pediatric Nurse Practitioner jobs have average salaries similar than Stem Opt jobs.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Entry Level Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

    $135,161

    $64.98

    Dean Of Graduate Studies

    $85,964

    $41.33

    Call Specialist

    $74,649

    $35.89

    Art Degree

    $69,553

    $33.44

    Assistant Computer Teacher

    $48,298

    $23.22

    About Our Data

    ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

    Infographic detailing Stem Opt salary across the United States as of August 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $138,662 per year or $66.66 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.