Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians · SOC 51-9083
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians Salary in the Philadelphia Metro Area
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area
Figures describe the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan statistical area as defined by BLS/OMB — the whole multi-county metro region, not Philadelphia city limits.
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area earned a median of $36,230 per year ($17.42 per hour) as of the May 2025 BLS OEWS estimates. Pay ranged from $33,940 at the 10th percentile to $67,750 at the 90th. BLS estimates 180 people work in this occupation in the area.
Pay distribution
Half of Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians in the Philadelphia metro area earn more than $36,230 per year, half earn less; the middle half earn between $35,660 and $44,390.
| Wage | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual | $33,940 | $35,660 | $36,230 | $44,390 | $67,750 |
| Hourly | $16.32 | $17.14 | $17.42 | $21.34 | $32.57 |
A percentile is a cut point: 25% of workers in this occupation and area earn less than the 25th-percentile wage. The median is the 50th percentile — half earn less, half earn more.
How this area compares
- Philadelphia metro areathis metro area$36,230 median for Philadelphia metro area; middle half earns $35,660 to $44,390
- Pennsylvaniastate (PA)$37,680 median for Pennsylvania; middle half earns $35,040 to $42,220
- United Statesnational$39,460 median for United States; middle half earns $36,470 to $47,010
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
The median here is −4% vs Pennsylvania overall and −8% vs the U.S. median for this occupation.
Where this metro sits nationally
Each dot is one metro area with a published median — hover any dot for the name and figure. Metros without published estimates are not drawn.
The Philadelphia metro area has the 53rd-highest published median for this occupation among the 59 metro areas where BLS publishes it. Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
Other metro areas in Pennsylvania
Metro areas in the same state with published May 2025 medians for ophthalmic laboratory technicians, highest first. Areas without published estimates are not listed.
- Philadelphia metro areathis page$36,230 median for Philadelphia metro area; middle half earns $35,660 to $44,390
- $38,650 median for Pittsburgh metro area; middle half earns $37,680 to $41,650
- $37,780 median for York metro area; middle half earns $33,820 to $42,030
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
Keep exploring
Other occupations in the same SOC group with published medians here, largest employment first:
Highest-paying metro areas for ophthalmic laboratory technicianss · Highest-paying occupations in Philadelphia Metro
About this estimate
These figures are survey estimates from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — modeled from employer reports collected over three years and benchmarked to May 2025. They describe what employers in this area currently pay across all industries, not what any individual worker will be offered.
Employment counts wage-and-salary jobs in the occupation (self-employed workers are excluded). Estimates carry sampling error; percentile wages are rounded by BLS. Some values are suppressed by BLS for confidentiality or quality — suppressed values appear here as “not published”, never as zero. Read the full methodology.
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.