Optical Physicist Salary in the United States

How much does an Optical Physicist make in the United States?

As of May 18, 2021, the average salary for an Optical Physicist in the United States is $109,704 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $53.

However, an Optical Physicist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $127,169
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $99,895 to $118,846
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $90,965
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View as table View as graph 25% $99,895 10% $90,965 90% $127,169 75% $118,846 $109,704 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Optical Physicist Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary		 Monthly
Pay		 Weekly
Pay		 Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $118,846 $9,904 $2,285 $57
Average $109,704 $9,142 $2,110 $53
25th Percentile $99,895 $8,325 $1,921 $48
Check out Optical Physicist Job Openings in the United States
Optical Research Physicist

Azimuth Corporation - Dayton, OH

OPTICAL RESEARCH PHYSICIST

Azimuth Corporation - WRIGHT PATTER, OH

Medical Physicist

SUNY Upstate Medical University - SYRACUSE, NY

Home Health Registered Nurse

National Staffing Solutions - INDIANAPOLIS, IN

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Key Factors That Influence Optical Physicist Salaries

An Optical Physicist's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Optical Physicist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Optical Physicist's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $73,242
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $86,673
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $112,228
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $125,355
  • Expert (over 8 years): $146,806
Levels Salary
Client/Se... Level Optical Physicist$73,242
Client/Se... Level Optical Physicist$86,673
Optical P... Level Optical Physicist$112,228
Client/Se... Level Optical Physicist$125,355
Client/Se... Level Optical Physicist$146,806
$73,242 0 yr
$86,673 < 2 yrs
$112,228 2-4 yrs
$125,355 5-8 yrs
$146,806 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Optical Physicists

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $138,369
  • San Francisco: $137,009
  • Oakland: $133,970

What Skills Can Increase an Optical Physicist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 3.72% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
  • Python (Mentioned in 3.23% Job Postings): Applying the concepts and algorithms of Python to design, develop and maintain software applications to comply with business requirements.
  • Software Development (Mentioned in 2.38% Job Postings): Software development is the process of conceiving, specifying, designing, programming, documenting, testing, and bug fixing involved in creating and maintaining applications, frameworks, or other software components. Software development is a process of writing and maintaining the source code, but in a broader sense, it includes all that is involved between the conception of the desired software through to the final manifestation of the software, sometimes in a planned and structured process. Therefore, software development may include research, new development, prototyping, modification, reuse, re-engineering, maintenance, or any other activities that result in software products. Software can be developed for a variety of purposes, the three most common being to meet specific needs of a specific client/business (the case with custom software), to meet a perceived need of some set of potential users (the case with commercial and open source software), or for personal use (e.g. a scientist may write software to automate a mundane task). Embedded software development, that is, the development of embedded software, such as used for controlling consumer products, requires the development process to be integrated with the development of the controlled physical product. System software underlies applications and the programming process itself, and is often developed separately.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 3.72%
Python 3.23%
Software Development 2.38%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on an Optical Physicist's salary.
  • Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
  • Agile: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
  • API: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Leadership
 $121,771
11%
Agile
 $120,674
10%
API
 $119,577
9%
SQL
 $118,480
8%
Computer Science
 $118,480
8%
JavaScript
 $118,480
8%
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How Education impacts an Optical Physicist's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Optical Physicists enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Optical Physicist with a Associate's Degree is between $103,414 and $109,599).

Optical Physicist Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Optical Physicist
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 6.0%
High School 6.0%
Associates 9.2%
Bachelors 61.0%
Masters 21.6%
Doctorate 2.1%
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Optical Physicist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Optical Physicist's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

  • Hourly
  • Monthly
  • Weekly
  • Yearly
  • Table View
Last Updated on May 18, 2021
$99,895
Average $109,704/year
$118,846
$8,325
Average $9,142/month
$9,904
$1,921
Average $2,110/week
$2,285
$48
Average $53/hour
$57
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $118,846 $9,904 $2,285 $57
Average $109,704 $9,142 $2,110 $53
25th Percentile $99,895 $8,325 $1,921 $48

Salaries of jobs related to Optical Physicist

Salary Trends for Optical Physicist

Salaries for an Optical Physicist can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $106,647 in 2023 to around $103,709 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Optical Physicist salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Optical Physicist Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$106,647
2024
$105,216
2025
$103,709
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $106,647
2024 $105,216
2025 $103,709
2026
View More
2027
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Most common benefits for Optical Physicist

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Optical Physicist

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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