Ophthalmic Medical Technicians in California

Is California a good place for you to work as an Ophthalmic Medical Technician?

You’re in luck! Jobs for Ophthalmic Medical Technicians in California are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.

• Projected employment for Ophthalmic Medical Technicians in California is growing faster than average.

• Ophthalmic Medical Technicians in California earn lower salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

What Major Will Prepare You For an Ophthalmic Medical Technician Career?

• Health Professions
• Ophthalmic & Optometric Support Services
• Optometric Technician/Assistant
• Ophthalmic Technician/Technologist
• Orthoptics/Orthoptist

How Many Ophthalmic Medical Technicians Work in California?

3,010 people worked as Ophthalmic Medical Technicians in 2018 in this state.

There were 3,280 Ophthalmic Medical Technicians employed in this state in 2017.

That’s a decline of 270 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

The typical state has 630 Ophthalmic Medical Technicians working in it, which means California has more Ophthalmic Medical Technicians than average.

Job Projections for California

Jobs for Ophthalmic Medical Technicians in this state are growing at a rate of 16.7% which is slower than the nationwide estimated projection of 19.6%.

California Annual Job Openings

The BLS estimates 360 annual job openings, and a total of 4,200 jobs for California Ophthalmic Medical Technicians in 2026.

Nationwide, the prediction is 4,600 annual jobs and 53,200 total jobs in 2026.

What do Ophthalmic Medical Technicians Make in California?

In 2018 wages for Ophthalmic Medical Technicians ranged from $27,340 to $59,300 with $39,560 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $13.15 to $28.51. The median hourly rate was $19.02.

In 2017 the median pay for this field was $18.13 an hour.

The hourly rate grew by $0.89.

The median salary in California is higher than the nationwide median salary.

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Top California Metros for Ophthalmic Medical Technicians

The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Ophthalmic Medical Technicians.

Metro	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	660	$40,230
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	600	$37,590
Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA	320	$38,080
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	200	$30,470
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA	40	$32,790

Top States for Ophthalmic Medical Technicians Employment

The table below shows the states where most Ophthalmic Medical Technicians work.

State	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Texas	5,610	$31,840
Florida	3,400	$36,030
California	3,010	$39,560
North Carolina	2,550	$35,440
Ohio	2,210	$36,420
Michigan	1,990	$37,250
Illinois	1,780	$36,110
Washington	1,700	$43,510
Pennsylvania	1,640	$36,270
Georgia	1,600	$33,420
Indiana	1,440	$34,550
Wisconsin	1,420	$39,150
Colorado	1,280	$36,960
Minnesota	1,090	$49,350
Missouri	970	$33,300
Maryland	960	$40,540
Tennessee	920	$34,090
South Carolina	780	$35,920
Connecticut	750	$39,520
Kansas	710	$32,770

Below are the states where Ophthalmic Medical Technicians get paid the most:

State	Annual Median Salary
Minnesota	$49,350
Massachusetts	$47,640
District of Columbia	$46,970
New Jersey	$45,370
Alaska	$44,690
Washington	$43,510
Vermont	$43,180
Maryland	$40,540
New Hampshire	$40,370
Oregon	$39,910

Related Careers in California

You may also be interested in the following careers:

Occupation	California Employment Total
Respiratory Therapy Technicians	166,420
Pharmacy Technicians	37,630
Surgical Technologists	9,640
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians	9,270
Psychiatric Technicians	8,900
Dietetic Technicians	5,250

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online

More about our data sources and methodologies.