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Optical technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an optical technician. Optical technicians usually study business, electrical engineering, or general studies. 32% of optical technicians hold a associate degree, and 27% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 3,403 real optical technician resumes to see exactly what optical technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for optical technicians are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online optical technician courses to help get the education required to be an optical technician.
There are certain optical technician certifications that you should consider. These optical technician certifications include Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) and Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT).
What education do you need to become an optical technician?
What degree do you need to be an optical technician?
- Associate, 32%
- Bachelor's, 27%
- High School Diploma, 25%
- Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become an optical technician?
- Business, 17%
- General Studies, 7%
- Biology, 7%
- Other Majors, 59%
Most common colleges for optical technicians
| Optical technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 12.70% |
| Monroe College | 8.73% |
| University of New Mexico | 8.73% |
| Vincennes University | 6.35% |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | 5.56% |
Best majors for optical technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 17.2% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering | 9.7% |
| 3 | General Studies | 6.5% |
| 4 | Biology | 6.5% |
| 5 | Electrical Engineering Technology | 6.2% |
Best colleges for optical technicians
The best colleges for optical technicians are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Duke University.
An optical technician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for optical technicians. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become optical technicians.
1. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
7. Maine Maritime Academy
Castine, ME • Private
In-state tuition
$13,478
Enrollment
979
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
10. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,306
Enrollment
6,975
20 best online courses for optical technicians
Advertising disclosure
1. Optical Engineering
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The courses in this specialization can also be taken for academic credit as ECEA 5605-5607, part of CU Boulder’s Master of Science in Electrical Engineering degree. Enroll here.\n\nThis Active Optical Devices specialization is designed to help you gain complete understanding of active optical devices by clearly defining and interconnecting the fundamental physical mechanisms, device design principles, and device performance. You will study and gain active experience with light emitting...
3. Introduction To Fiber Optic Cabling
Welcome! This course is designed to give you a good understand of fiber optics and fiber data transmission...
4. IT network cabling: The complete fiber optics course
Demystifying fiber optics, the fastest growing ICT network infrastructure sector one lesson at a time!...
5. Design of High-Performance Optical Systems
This course can also be taken for academic credit as ECEA 5602, part of CU Boulder’s Master of Science in Electrical Engineering degree. Optical instruments are how we see the world, from corrective eyewear to medical endoscopes to cell phone cameras to orbiting telescopes. This course extends what you have learned about first-order, paraxial system design and optical resolution and efficiency with the introduction to real lenses and their imperfections. We begin with a description of how...
6. Waves and Optics
This specialization is for learners who have completed a first-year university-level physics course and wants to continue their study. Through three courses, you will gain a foundation in waves and optics ranging from simple oscillators and waves in strings, to advanced diffraction effects of electromagnetic waves. With an entire semester of lectures and over 100 problems, this comprehensive specialization is similar in detail and rigor to what is taught in on-campus courses. It will thoroughly...
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8. Optical Fiber Access Networks Using PON/FTTH
All you need to know for getting started with FTTx Technology...
9. Python Optical Character Recognition using Pytorch
Note: The rhyme platform currently does not support webcams, so this is not a live project. This guided project is about optical character recognition using Pythorch, a Python library. This comes under the computer vision domain. While you are watching me code, you will get a cloud desktop with all the required software pre-installed. This will allow you to code along with me. After all, we learn best with active, hands-on learning. Note: This project works best for learners who are based in...
10. Pharmacy Technician Fundamentals
In this foundational Pharmacy Technician Career Training Specialization, students will take four courses to master the fundamentals of a career in pharmacy. The first two courses teach how to communicate and engage professionally in any healthcare setting and the necessary knowledge of human anatomy and physiology required for any medical role. Next, students dive into two pharmacy-related courses - Pharmacy Technician Essentials and Pharmacy Dosages & Prescriptions Essentials - to round out...
11. Computer Vision: Python OCR & Object Detection Quick Starter
Quick Starter for Optical Character Recognition, Image Recognition Object Detection and Object Recognition using Python...
12. Introduction To Telecom Networks: Fixed/Wireless Networks
PSTN, Voice Over IP Systems (Softswitch, IMS), Internet, Mobile/cellular systems, Optical Fiber Systems (OFAN, DWDM)...
13. Zemax/OpticStudio Fundamentals (non-sequential mode)
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18. Introduction to Data Visualization
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19. Telecom basics (signals-satellite-microwaves-antennas)
مبادئ الاتصالات السلكية واللاسلكية للمبتدئين وغير المهندسين...
20. Python Data Visualization: Matplotlib & Seaborn Masterclass
Bring your data to LIFE and master Python's most popular data analytics & visualization libraries: Matplotlib & Seaborn...
Top 10 most affordable universities for optical technicians
The most affordable schools for optical technicians are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for optical technicians are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for optical technicians.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
9. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Cost of attendance
22,990
10. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Cost of attendance
24,718
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for optical technicians
The hardest universities for optical technicians to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Duke University.
Some great schools for optical technicians are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for optical technicians based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for optical technicians
The easiest schools for optical technicians to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an optical technician without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for optical technicians.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
6. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
7. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
8. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
9. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
10. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
Average optical technician salary by education level
| Optical technician education level | Optical technician salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $39,211 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $45,162 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $42,071 |
Optical technician education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025