SOC 51-9083 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians — Kentucky
Kentucky · 1 metro areas compared
At $36,650, median pay for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians in Kentucky tracks the national median of $39,460 closely.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +2.3%
- Openings per year
- 2,400
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Kentucky.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
At $36,650, median pay for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians in Kentucky tracks the national median of $39,460 closely. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $34,290 and $36,650. The lowest tenth earn under $28,860, while the highest tenth earn more than $47,150.
Employment stands at 610, or 0.3 jobs per thousand held locally. Among the 40 states with published data for this occupation, Kentucky ranks 35th by median wage. Louisville/Jefferson County leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $28,890. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 612th of 699 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $28,860 | −26.9% |
| 25th | $34,290 | −13.1% |
| Median (50th) | $36,650 | −7.1% |
| 75th | $36,650 | −7.1% |
| 90th | $47,150 | +19.5% |
| Mean | $36,310 | −8.0% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Kentucky
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisville/Jefferson County | $28,890 | 140 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Kentucky run 9.8% below the national average, so the median of $36,650 goes as far as $40,632 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 3.0% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$36,650as reported by BLSLocal price level
90.2US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$40,632US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $36,650 a year, 7.1% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $28,860 to $47,150 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 610 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 35th of 40 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Louisville/Jefferson County, at $28,890.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians in Kentucky?
The median annual wage is $36,650, or $17.62 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $39,460, so pay in Kentucky is 7.1% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Kentucky earns more than $47,150 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $28,860 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Louisville/Jefferson County, at $28,890 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 610 jobs in this occupation in Kentucky. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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