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Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians: apprenticeship hours and pay
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Approved apprenticeship titles
8 apprenticeship titles on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 2,000 hours, for Blocker & Cutter Contact Lens (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| Blocker & Cutter Contact Lens | 0889 | Competency-Based: 2,000 hours Hybrid: 2,000 to 2,500 hours Time-Based: 2,000 hours |
| LAY-OUT TECHNICIAN | 0554 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| OPTICAL INSTRUMENT ASSEMBLY | 0250 | Competency-Based: 4,000 hours Hybrid: 4,000 to 5,000 hours Time-Based: 4,000 hours |
| OPTICIAN (Op Gds; Ret Tr) (Alternate Title: Optical Laboratory Specialist ) | 0032 | Competency-Based: 10,000 hours Hybrid: 10,000 to 12,500 hours Time-Based: 10,000 hours |
| OPTICIAN (Optical Goods) | 0377 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| PRECISION-LENS GRINDER | 0277 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| SHOP OPTICIAN, BENCHROOM | 0524 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| SHOP OPTICIAN, SURFACE ROOM | 0526 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What ophthalmic laboratory technicians earn, by state
Connecticut has the highest state median for ophthalmic laboratory technicians ($62,410) and Puerto Rico the lowest ($24,420), across the 41 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | $62,410 | $30.01 | 170 |
| New Hampshire | $59,460 | $28.59 | 180 |
| Washington | $49,230 | $23.67 | 260 |
| Colorado | $48,540 | $23.34 | 320 |
| Rhode Island | $47,440 | $22.81 | 70 |
| New Jersey | $47,420 | $22.80 | Not published |
| California | $47,410 | $22.79 | 1,630 |
| Maryland | $47,100 | $22.64 | 360 |
| Ohio | $46,320 | $22.27 | 560 |
| Oregon | $45,780 | $22.01 | 250 |
| Michigan | $45,490 | $21.87 | 330 |
| Georgia | $45,050 | $21.66 | 960 |
| Kansas | $44,920 | $21.60 | Not published |
| North Carolina | $44,140 | $21.22 | 210 |
| Maine | $43,520 | $20.92 | 50 |
| Massachusetts | $43,100 | $20.72 | Not published |
| Wisconsin | $42,920 | $20.64 | 200 |
| New York | $42,450 | $20.41 | 1,250 |
| Nebraska | $40,640 | $19.54 | 170 |
| Minnesota | $40,280 | $19.37 | 1,110 |
| Nevada | $38,990 | $18.74 | 240 |
| Missouri | $38,740 | $18.62 | 360 |
| Arizona | $38,620 | $18.57 | 150 |
| New Mexico | $38,590 | $18.55 | 130 |
| Florida | $38,020 | $18.28 | 1,230 |
| Texas | $37,920 | $18.23 | 3,380 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,680 | $18.12 | 510 |
| Tennessee | $37,370 | $17.97 | 130 |
| Indiana | $37,360 | $17.96 | 330 |
| Louisiana | $37,160 | $17.86 | 300 |
| West Virginia | $37,140 | $17.86 | Not published |
| Arkansas | $37,060 | $17.82 | 170 |
| Alabama | $37,010 | $17.80 | 190 |
| Illinois | $36,840 | $17.71 | 830 |
| Kentucky | $36,650 | $17.62 | 610 |
| Oklahoma | $35,620 | $17.12 | 210 |
| Mississippi | $35,230 | $16.94 | 220 |
| Virginia | $34,170 | $16.43 | 470 |
| South Carolina | $34,140 | $16.42 | 130 |
| Iowa | $33,910 | $16.30 | 100 |
| Puerto Rico | $24,420 | $11.74 | 1,360 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).