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Optical scientist salary
Average optical scientist salary
$83,856
Optical Scientist Salary Overview
As of October 2025, the average salary for an Optical Scientist stands at $83,856 per year. This figure translates to about $40 per hour. Salaries for optical scientists can differ based on various factors including region, experience level, and the industry in which they work.
Salary by State
Geographical location plays a significant role in salary potential. For instance, states known for high-tech industries tend to offer better compensation. The highest-paying states for optical scientists include California, Texas, and Massachusetts, where average salaries can exceed $100,000.
Job Opportunities
Optical scientists find employment in a variety of fields, such as healthcare, aerospace, and telecommunications. The demand for skilled professionals in these sectors continues to grow, making this an excellent time to enter the field. Additionally, those with advanced degrees can expect to command higher salaries, further enhancing their earning potential.
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Where can an Optical Scientist earn more?
Optical scientist salary estimates from across the web
Average optical scientist salary by state
The highest-paying states for optical scientists are Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Maryland. The lowest average optical scientist salary states are Virginia, Arkansas, and Hawaii.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for optical scientists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $100,643 | $48.39 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $99,641 | $47.90 |
| 3 | Maryland | $95,246 | $45.79 |
| 4 | New Mexico | $86,165 | $41.43 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $86,773 | $41.72 |
| 6 | Delaware | $82,661 | $39.74 |
| 7 | New York | $86,326 | $41.50 |
| 8 | Nevada | $88,074 | $42.34 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $81,000 | $38.94 |
| 10 | Vermont | $79,539 | $38.24 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $77,557 | $37.29 |
| 12 | Ohio | $80,861 | $38.88 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $89,284 | $42.92 |
| 14 | Utah | $79,020 | $37.99 |
| 15 | Colorado | $79,621 | $38.28 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $72,761 | $34.98 |
| 17 | Oklahoma | $80,429 | $38.67 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $74,409 | $35.77 |
| 19 | Maine | $73,934 | $35.55 |
| 20 | Alabama | $76,365 | $36.71 |
| 21 | Washington | $81,429 | $39.15 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $75,183 | $36.15 |
| 23 | South Carolina | $72,990 | $35.09 |
| 24 | Alaska | $72,661 | $34.93 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $75,901 | $36.49 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $69,067 | $33.21 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $72,907 | $35.05 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $71,632 | $34.44 |
| 29 | Oregon | $72,904 | $35.05 |
| 30 | District of Columbia | $83,540 | $40.16 |
| 31 | California | $80,546 | $38.72 |
| 32 | Michigan | $71,166 | $34.21 |
| 33 | Texas | $72,615 | $34.91 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $62,264 | $29.93 |
| 35 | Montana | $65,235 | $31.36 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $69,395 | $33.36 |
| 37 | Illinois | $65,900 | $31.68 |
| 38 | Missouri | $65,786 | $31.63 |
| 39 | Virginia | $57,191 | $27.50 |
| 40 | Arizona | $66,010 | $31.74 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $66,624 | $32.03 |
| 42 | Kansas | $61,576 | $29.60 |
| 43 | Idaho | $61,587 | $29.61 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $41,282 | $19.85 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $50,476 | $24.27 |
| 46 | Florida | $63,103 | $30.34 |
| 47 | Georgia | $62,571 | $30.08 |
| 48 | Indiana | $57,351 | $27.57 |
| 49 | Iowa | $50,429 | $24.24 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $50,938 | $24.49 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $48,278 | $23.21 |
Highest paying cities for optical scientists
The highest-paying cities for optical scientists are Boston, MA, Livermore, CA, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | $89,351 | $42.96 |
| 2 | Livermore, CA | $87,315 | $41.98 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $83,709 | $40.24 |
| 4 | Redmond, WA | $81,724 | $39.29 |
| 5 | Huntsville, AL | $76,203 | $36.64 |
| 6 | Oak Ridge, TN | $74,048 | $35.60 |
| 7 | Tucson, AZ | $64,564 | $31.04 |
| 8 | Hilo, HI | $50,335 | $24.20 |
Optical scientist salary details
An optical scientist's salary ranges from $52,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $132,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an optical scientist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $132,000 | $11,000 | $63 |
| 75th Percentile | $106,000 | $8,833 | $51 |
| Average | $83,856 | $6,988 | $40 |
| 25th Percentile | $65,000 | $5,417 | $31 |
| 10th Percentile | $52,000 | $4,333 | $25 |
Highest paying optical scientist jobs
The highest paying types of optical scientists are medical physicist, nuclear scientist, and physicist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research Physicist | $74,663 | $6,222 | $35.90 | 46,060 |
| Health Physicist | $74,942 | $6,245 | $36.03 | 47,640 |
| Physicist | $110,869 | $9,239 | $53.30 | 803 |
| Computational Physicist | $61,519 | $5,127 | $29.58 | 865 |
| Medical Physicist | $122,845 | $10,237 | $59.06 | 46,513 |
| Scientist | $97,344 | $8,112 | $46.80 | 62,467 |
Top companies hiring optical scientists now:
Which companies pay optical scientists the most?
Optical scientist salaries at Meta and Apple are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average optical scientist salary at companies like Corning Incorporated and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $143,385 | $68.94 |
| 2 | Apple | $139,648 | $67.14 |
| 3 | Corning Incorporated | $107,673 | $51.77 |
| 4 | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory | $101,415 | $48.76 |
| 5 | Cymer | $100,133 | $48.14 |
| 6 | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $100,046 | $48.10 |
| 7 | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | $99,096 | $47.64 |
| 8 | M.I.T. International, Inc. | $93,878 | $45.13 |
| 9 | Gst | $91,404 | $43.94 |
| 10 | EMD Millipore | $91,272 | $43.88 |
| 11 | Physical Sciences | $91,145 | $43.82 |
| 12 | W. M. Keck Observatory | $88,140 | $42.38 |
| 13 | CFD Research | $87,671 | $42.15 |
| 14 | Cedars-Sinai | $87,499 | $42.07 |
| 15 | Giant Magellan Telescope | $87,367 | $42.00 |
| 16 | DCS | $84,898 | $40.82 |
| 17 | HRL Laboratories | $84,780 | $40.76 |
| 18 | Alcon | $79,849 | $38.39 |
| 19 | The Research Corporation of the University of Hawai'i | $75,758 | $36.42 |
| 20 | ManTech | $74,525 | $35.83 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Optical Scientist salary by industry
The average optical scientist salary varies across industries:
- The average optical scientist salary in the technology industry is $120,234, the highest of any industry.
- The average optical scientist salary in the finance industry is $89,354.
- Optical scientists in the education industry earn an average salary of $75,773, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for optical scientists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $120,234 | $57.80 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $89,354 | $42.96 |
| 3 | Professional | $85,547 | $41.13 |
| 4 | Education | $75,773 | $36.43 |
High paying optical scientist jobs
Optical scientist salary trends
The average optical scientist salary has risen by $15,170 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average optical scientist earned $68,686 annually, but today, they earn $83,856 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for optical scientists over the last decade.
Compare optical scientist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average optical scientist salary over time
Compare optical scientist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Optical scientist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $83,900 | $40.32 | +5.4% |
| 2024 | $79,300 | $38.14 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | $78,100 | $37.55 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $76,700 | $36.89 | +2.5% |
| 2021 | $74,800 | $35.97 | +3.7% |
Recently added optical scientist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argonne National Laboratory | Scientist-Optical Properties and Dynamics of Quantum Systems | Lemont, IL | 04/29/2025 | $90,063 |
| Cz Biohub | Optical Scientist, Royer Group (Biohub SF) | San Francisco, CA | 04/28/2025 | $121,000 |
| General Atomics | Optical Scientist, Space Eo/Ir Payloads | Acton, MA | 04/26/2025 | $116,480 |
| Triplet Imaging | Optical Scientist | San Jose, CA | 04/24/2025 | $150,000 |
| Meta | Optical Scientist-AR Systems | Redmond, WA | 04/02/2025 | $147,000 |
| Chanzuckerbergbiohub | Optical Scientist, Royer Group (Biohub SF) | San Francisco, CA | 03/26/2025 | $121,000 |
| Uchicago Argonne | Scientist-Optical Properties and Dynamics of Quantum Systems | Lemont, IL | 03/23/2025 | $90,063 |
| Argonne National Laboratory | Scientist-Optical Properties and Dynamics of Quantum Systems | Springfield, IL | 03/22/2025 | $90,063 |
| Meta Platforms, Inc. | Optical Scientist | Redmond, WA | 03/20/2025 | $209,993 |
| CZ Biohub | Optical Scientist, Royer Group (Biohub SF) | San Francisco, CA | 03/06/2025 | $121,000 |
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