25 of the Highest Paying Optical Jobs in 2026

The best Optical jobs can pay up to $400,000 per year.

High Paying Optical Jobs

• General Ophthalmologist

  Salary range: $348,000 - $400,000

  The majority of General Ophthalmologist salaries across the United States currently range between $348,000 (25th percentile) and $400,000 (75th percentile) annually. Most people working in this role make similar salaries regardless of skill level, location and years of experience. Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the General Ophthalmologist job market in the United States is not very active as few companies are currently hiring for this role. You can try exploring related titles to find jobs with more active opportunities.

• Glaucoma Specialist

  Salary range: $365,500 - $397,000

  A glaucoma specialist is an ophthalmologist, or eye doctor, that specializes in glaucoma management. As a glaucoma specialist, your job is to diagnose glaucoma and develop effective treatment programs for patients. Typical duties involve examining a patient’s eyes, diagnosing the specific issue, and offering preventative advice. You might also perform surgery to save a patient’s vision. This career requires a doctoral degree in ophthalmology and experience working with glaucoma patients as part of a residency. Additional qualifications include current professional certification and licensing and the technical skills needed to operate ophthalmologist equipment.

• Refractive Surgeon

  Salary range: $41,500 - $350,000

  The majority of Refractive Surgeon salaries across the United States currently range between $41,500 (25th percentile) and $350,000 (75th percentile) annually. This large range of salary potential suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay depending on skill level, location and years of experience. Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Refractive Surgeon job market in the United States is not very active as few companies are currently hiring for this role. You can try exploring related titles to find jobs with more active opportunities.

• Ophthalmologist

  Salary range: $250,000 - $326,500

  An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who specializes in treating eye or vision-related ailments. Ophthalmologists assess and treat standard vision issues, and problems caused by physical injury, chronic diseases like glaucoma, and other medical conditions that affect the retina. As an ophthalmologist, you diagnose, oversee treatment, and perform surgery when necessary.

• Pediatric Ophthalmologist

  Salary range: $170,000 - $262,500

  Pediatric ophthalmologists are ophthalmologists who work with children for eye care, vision testing, and disease. Ophthalmologists are doctors who have completed medical school and a residency in ophthalmology. Qualifications of a pediatric ophthalmologist include having an additional year of fellowship training in eye problems that specifically affect children. Duties and responsibilities of a pediatric ophthalmologist include performing check-ups, diagnostic exams, ocular surgery, and biopsies. They communicate with the families of their young patients and discuss treatment options.

• Optical Engineer

  Salary range: $129,000 - $167,000

  An optical engineer oversees the scientific application of optics and light in an industrial, research, or manufacturing setting. As an optical engineering professional, your responsibilities include the design of instruments and products that rely on optics, from space telescopes to DVD players. You also may work in research and development to create new technologies and applications for optical science. Your specific duties and the level of education you need varies depending on the field in which you work

• Optical Design Engineer

  Salary range: $129,000 - $158,500

  The majority of Optical Design Engineer salaries across the United States currently range between $129,000 (25th percentile) and $158,500 (75th percentile) annually. This moderate range of salaries suggests pay in this role will be consistent, regardless skill level, location and years of experience, though some advancement is possible. Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Optical Design Engineer job market in the United States is not very active as few companies are currently hiring for this role. You can try exploring related titles to find jobs with more active opportunities.

• Optometrist

  Salary range: $98,000 - $146,000

  An Optometrist screens a patient’s eyes for abnormalities and tests their vision to check if they need corrective lenses. Using a variety of machinery and reading materials, Optometrists determine the current vision of the patient and suggest glasses or contacts to help the patient see more clearly. They also screen for common eye problems, such as dry eyes, infections, and glaucoma. Some optometrists also provide low vision care and vision therapy, or they may refer the patient in these cases to an Ophthalmologist.

• Optical Laboratory Manager

  Salary range: $82,500 - $87,500

  As an optical laboratory manager, your responsibilities include handling all optical laboratory duties for one or many practices. This includes inspecting lenses and invoices to ensure billing is accurate, coordinating scheduling with patients, and managing digital tracers, stock lenses, and lens turnaround time. You work closely with the lens vendor rep for staff training and marketing, and integrate lab management software. Other duties include crafting eyewear by edging lenses to the correct prescription, mounting lenses in frames, inspecting to ensure conformance to ANSI specifications, and working directly with patients to troubleshoot problems. You make recommendations to your manager on new operations and technologies that help increase efficiency and cost savings, assist with laboratory training, and organize expenses reports. You are also expected to handle equipment maintenance as needed.

• Certified Ophthalmic Technician

  Salary range: $44,000 - $79,500

  A certified ophthalmic technician (COT) assists an ophthalmologist with various eye care tasks in a clinical setting. As a certified ophthalmic technician, your responsibilities include taking the patient’s medical history and other information, performing preliminary eye tests and measurements, and providing the ophthalmologist with any additional support they might need. You also update records, set up necessary equipment for the exam, and answer any questions the patient may have about their results.

• Optical Manager

  Salary range: $51,000 - $76,500

  Optical managers oversee the day-to-day operations of an optometrist’s office. As an optical manager, your job duties include a mix of administrative and eye care tasks, such as hiring and training staff, managing inventory, processing insurance and billing, submitting work orders for eyeglasses and contact lenses, adjusting eyeglasses, and maintaining client records. The qualifications to become an optical manager include several years of experience working in the eye care field, strong communication skills, and the ability to multitask. An associate or bachelor’s degree in business or a related field may make you a more valuable candidate for optical manager positions.

• Ophthalmic Photographer

  Salary range: $55,500 - $71,000

  An ophthalmic photographer works with doctors on an ophthalmic medical team, taking photos of a patient’s eye, including the retinas, corneas, and other ocular structures, to diagnose eye-related diseases and disorders and determine effective treatments or surgeries. Your responsibilities include using various advanced equipment such as fluorescein angiography to see blood flow in the eye and low-power microscopes to capture a close-up image of the retina. In some positions, you perform computerized optical coherence tomography testing. Other duties include working directly with each patient, telling them what you are doing each step of the way, and positioning them to ensure the best quality photos. Some jobs, such as those at universities, involve conducting research and completing diagnostic imaging tests.

• Certified Ophthalmic Assistant

  Salary range: $45,500 - $64,500

  A certified ophthalmic assistant works alongside eye physicians, or ophthalmologists, offering medical and administrative support. Essential duties include administering eye exams, recording patient information, providing customer service, rooming patients, and cleaning exam rooms and equipment. Your responsibilities may also require that you give medications to patients, assist in surgical preparations, perform diagnostic tests, order medical supplies, and schedule patient appointments. Your professional certification develops your skills and allows you to work in hospitals, clinics, or private offices alongside professional eye doctors.

• Licensed Dispensing Optician

  Salary range: $56,000 - $61,500

  A licensed dispensing optician helps select and fit patients with prescription eyewear in an optometrist’s office. As a licensed dispensing optician, you work with customers to choose the best type of eyeglasses or contact lenses for their eye health and lifestyle habits, ensure they fit comfortably, and coordinate with ophthalmic laboratory technicians to create the eyewear. You also educate patients on how to insert contact lenses and care for them properly. To become a licensed dispensing optician, you typically need an associate or bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, such as opticianry, on-the-job training, and state licensing. Some employers also offer apprenticeship programs that provide practical training in assisting patients, fitting eyewear, and sending prescriptions.

• Licensed Optician

  Salary range: $41,000 - $59,500

  As a licensed optician, your responsibilities and duties include helping patients find corrective eyewear according to their prescription from an ophthalmologist. You help patients select frames, fit prescription lenses the glasses, and then adjust them for a comfortable fit and maximum vision correction. You may also assist patients who wear contact lenses by helping them select the right kind of lenses, learn how to use them, and how to care for them.

• Ophthalmic Technician

  Salary range: $37,500 - $50,500

  Ophthalmic technicians work alongside ophthalmologists (eye doctors) to provide eye-related clinical care for patients who come in for routine eye exams or particular eye disorders. Ophthalmic technicians take patient medical histories, perform a variety of vision and diagnostic tests, and educate patients about procedures, medications, and home care. In addition to assisting with patient procedures, some ophthalmic technicians also perform office management duties such as scheduling patient appointments.

• Optical Technician

  Salary range: $34,000 - $48,500

  An optical technician, also known as an ophthalmic laboratory technician, fills prescriptions for eyeglass lenses and contact lenses. As an optical technician, you may work in a medical equipment laboratory or directly in an optometrist’s office. One of your job duties is utilizing manufacturing machinery, such as grinders and lensometers, to ensure each lens is curved to the correct prescription for individual patients. Optical technicians are different from opticians, but some offices use the terms interchangeably. A technician usually works closely with an optometrist, or eye doctor, to ensure that each set of lenses is created correctly. Other common responsibilities include fitting glasses frames to suit the patient’s face, checking the correct prescription is sent to the lab, and drafting records about each order that is filled. Some employers require optical technicians to perform administrative duties, such as updating patient records and verifying insurance policies.

• Exterminator

  Salary range: $41,000 - $48,500

  The responsibilities of an exterminator, also called a pest control worker, include identifying the pest problem, using pesticides, or choosing, mixing, and applying a chemical solution to get rid of pests such as rodents, termites, cockroaches, bed bugs, and more. Other strategies include setting mechanical traps and placing bait, and then removing dead animals after the process is complete. In this role, you ensure that all people evacuate residences or buildings while any chemical spraying occurs, that the air quality is back to normal, and that pesticides are cleaned up before reentering. Other duties include inspecting the outside of the building to determine the invasion site of the pests and drilling into walls to access infested areas.

• Ophthalmology Assistant

  Salary range: $35,500 - $46,500

  An ophthalmology assistant, or ophthalmic assistant, works for a licensed ophthalmologist, providing care related to the eye. Their responsibilities can include taking patient medical histories, helping with eye tests or measurements, informing patients, and logging notes regarding the doctor’s treatments. Other duties may include preparing medication or cleaning equipment. People in this job often work both with the patient and perform basic administrative tasks. You only need a high school diploma and on-the-job training in this career, although some employers prefer candidates with an associate’s degree or certification.

• Optician

  Salary range: $34,500 - $44,500

  Opticians work with optometrists or ophthalmologists to design and fit corrective lenses for patients. These lenses include glasses and contact lenses, as well as low-vision aids (magnifying lenses) and ophthalmic prosthetics (artificial eyes), depending on the patient’s needs and the instructions given by the optometrist or ophthalmologist. Opticians make adjustments to the devices to ensure comfort for the patient, such as tightening or loosening glasses frames. While opticians are trained to read the prescriptions provided by the eye doctor, they do not test vision, write prescriptions, or diagnose or treat any eye conditions.

• Optical Laboratory Technician

  Salary range: $32,000 - $43,000

  An optical laboratory technician works in a laboratory setting, producing eyewear such as glasses and contacts based on the prescription from an optometrist. In this career, your duties start with selecting the appropriate lens based on the prescription standards set out by the optician. You then cut, grind, and polish them so that they meet the prescription criteria and fit within the frames. Your responsibilities could also include adding coating or surfacing to the products and polishing the lens to remove any trace of imperfection.

• Certified Optician

  Salary range: $37,500 - $43,000

  A certified optician is an eye doctor trained to dispense eyeglasses and perform eye examinations. Unlike an optometrist, you do not need eight years of schooling and cannot write prescriptions or offer diagnoses. Your job duties include fitting eyewear, repairing broken frames, and fitting customers for contacts. You must possess customer service skills, as you interact with the public at a vision care center in a store or in a clinic setting, and help customers choose the best frames for their needs.

• Optometric Technician

  Salary range: $32,500 - $40,500

  Optometric technicians assist an optometrist during eye exams and other optometric procedures, providing eye health tests and consultations. In addition to working with the dispensing optician, your duties include taking patient medical histories and conducting any pre-tests ahead of the exam. As an optometric tech, you may also maintain the practice’s patient records system, fix eyeglasses, and assist patients with corrective lenses.

• Optometric Assistant

  Salary range: $30,000 - $38,500

  An optometric assistant is responsible for assisting a licensed optometrist with patient vision care. They are considered medical assistants but do not have a medical certification or qualifications like physician’s assistants. Your job duties vary from office to office, depending on the size of the practice. During your career, you gain experience performing front desk duties such as scheduling appointments, filing records, calling patients, and handling insurance claims. You also perform patient-specific skills such as pretesting, fitting patients for glasses, and some basic procedures, as long as the procedures are under the direct supervision of a licensed physician.

• Optical Assistant

  Salary range: $32,000 - $38,000

  An optical assistant is a vision care customer’s first point of contact, as you work in the retail or sales departments or optometrist’s offices. In this career, you are responsible for greeting patients and helping them select the right eyewear as well as repairing and making adjustments to the eyewear. Assistants perform duties such as fitting eyeglasses or contacts under supervision, measuring an eye or bridge of the nose, scheduling appointments, gathering important patient information, and maintaining medical files. Customer service is an important part of the job.