Optometric technician demographics and statistics in the US
Optometric technician demographics research summary. Zippia estimates optometric technician demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our optometric technician estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about optometric technicians after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 55,662 optometric technicians currently employed in the United States.
- 85.3% of all optometric technicians are women, while 14.7% are men.
- The average optometric technician age is 41 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of optometric technicians is White (62.1%), followed by Black or African American (14.5%), Hispanic or Latino (12.3%) and Asian (5.8%).
- In 2022, women earned 103% of what men earned.
- 6% of all optometric technicians are LGBT.
- Optometric technicians are 86% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Optometric technician demographics by:
Optometric technician gender statistics
85.3% of optometric technicians are women and 14.7% of optometric technicians are men.
- Female, 85.3%
- Male, 14.7%
Optometric technician gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 85.3% |
| Male | 14.7% |
Optometric technician gender pay gap
Women earn $1.03 for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$32,302
Female income
$33,220
Optometric technician gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in optometric technician positions over time. Currently, 85.3% of optometric technicians are female.
Optometric technician gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 10.60% | 89.40% |
| 2011 | 10.41% | 89.59% |
| 2012 | 10.44% | 89.56% |
| 2013 | 10.68% | 89.32% |
| 2014 | 12.35% | 87.65% |
| 2015 | 10.59% | 89.41% |
| 2016 | 10.74% | 89.26% |
| 2017 | 11.84% | 88.16% |
| 2018 | 8.17% | 91.83% |
| 2019 | 10.34% | 89.66% |
| 2020 | 10.20% | 89.80% |
| 2021 | 14.70% | 85.30% |
Optometric technician related jobs gender ratio
We compared optometric technicians with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, guitar technician and armorer technician have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Radiographer, Mammographer | 2% | 98% |
| Mammographer | 3% | 97% |
| Lead Mammographer | 3% | 97% |
| Optometric Technician | 15% | 85% |
| Driver/Technician | 93% | 7% |
| Armorer Technician | 95% | 5% |
| Guitar Technician | 96% | 4% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Optometric technician demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among optometric technicians is White, which makes up 62.1% of all optometric technicians. Comparatively, 14.5% of optometric technicians are Black or African American and 12.3% of optometric technicians are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 62.1%
- Black or African American, 14.5%
- Hispanic or Latino, 12.3%
- Asian, 5.8%
- Unknown, 4.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
Optometric technician race
| Optometric technician race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 62.1% |
| Black or African American | 14.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 12.3% |
| Asian | 5.8% |
| Unknown | 4.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
Optometric technician race and ethnicity over time
See how optometric technician racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Optometric technician race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 73.00% | 9.36% | 6.16% | 8.76% |
| 2011 | 71.85% | 10.55% | 5.93% | 9.55% |
| 2012 | 70.15% | 10.26% | 6.54% | 10.33% |
| 2013 | 70.04% | 9.57% | 6.93% | 11.02% |
| 2014 | 69.81% | 9.42% | 7.57% | 10.60% |
| 2015 | 69.23% | 10.93% | 6.73% | 10.81% |
| 2016 | 69.25% | 9.82% | 7.19% | 10.91% |
| 2017 | 68.54% | 9.25% | 6.96% | 12.14% |
| 2018 | 65.67% | 16.49% | 6.15% | 8.40% |
| 2019 | 63.40% | 19.75% | 4.59% | 9.49% |
| 2020 | 65.26% | 14.04% | 6.49% | 7.89% |
| 2021 | 62.13% | 14.47% | 5.85% | 12.28% |
Optometric technician wage gap by race
According to our data, unknown optometric technicians have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Hispanic or latino optometric technicians have the lowest average salary at $31,327.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $34,285 |
| White | $32,556 |
| Black or African American | $31,705 |
| Asian | $31,720 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $31,327 |
Average optometric technician age
See how the average age of optometric technicians varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Optometric technician age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| White | 37 | 41 |
| Black or African American | 36.5 | 45 |
| Asian | 51 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 30.5 | 36 |
Optometric technician age breakdown
The average age of optometric technicians is 40+ years years old, representing 51% of the optometric technician population.
Optometric technician age breakdown
| Optometric Technician Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 51% |
| 30-40 years | 22% |
| 20-30 years | 23% |
Optometric technician educational attainment
The most common degree for optometric technicians is bachelor's degree, with 38% of optometric technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 23% and high school diploma degree at 22%.
- Bachelor's, 38%
- High School Diploma, 23%
- Associate, 22%
- Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 10%
Optometric technicians by degree level
| Optometric technician degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 38% |
| High School Diploma | 23% |
| Associate | 22% |
| Diploma | 7% |
| Other Degrees | 10% |
Optometric technician jobs you might like
Optometric technician employment statistics
Most optometric technicians work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where optometric technicians work
Below, you can see the size of companies where optometric technicians work.
Optometric technician jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 15% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 32% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 30% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 5% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 10% |
| > 10,000 employees | 9% |
Optometric technician jobs by company type
Employees with the optometric technician job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most optometric technicians prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Optometric technician jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 5% |
| Public | 5% |
| Private | 86% |
| Government | 4% |
Optometric technician jobs by industry
The most common industries for optometric technicians are health care, retail and manufacturing.
Optometric technician industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 28% |
| Retail | 17% |
| Manufacturing | 6% |
| Professional | 6% |
| Start-up | 5% |
| Non Profits | 5% |
| Technology | 5% |
| Media | 4% |
| Fortune 500 | 4% |
| Education | 4% |
| Government | 3% |
| Pharmaceutical | 2% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Hospitality | 2% |
| Insurance | 2% |
| Real Estate | 2% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
Optometric technician turnover and employment statistics
Optometric technician unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for optometric technicians between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Optometric technician unemployment rate by year
| Year | Optometric technician unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 4.11% |
| 2011 | 5.06% |
| 2012 | 4.43% |
| 2013 | 3.96% |
| 2014 | 3.13% |
| 2015 | 3.08% |
| 2016 | 2.16% |
| 2017 | 2.36% |
| 2018 | 3.33% |
| 2019 | 3.20% |
| 2020 | 3.55% |
| 2021 | 3.66% |
Average optometric technician tenure
The average optometric technician stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 5,697 optometric technicians resumes in Zippia's database.
Optometric technician tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 25% |
| 1-2 years | 35% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 18% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 5% |
Optometric technician LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of optometric technicians that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Certified Pharmacist Technician | 5.02% | 94,542 |
| Optometric Technician | 6.25% | - |
| Pharmaceutical Laboratory Technician | 8.24% | 52,205 |
| Medical Data Analyst | 9.29% | 129,290 |
| Optical Manager | 12.53% | 6,274 |
| Surgical Scrub Technician | 12.80% | 40,168 |
| Nuclear Medicine Specialist | 21.93% | 12,512 |
Similar optometric technician jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Certified Pharmacist Technician | 5.02% | 94,542 |
| Pharmaceutical Laboratory Technician | 8.24% | 52,205 |
| Medical Data Analyst | 9.29% | 129,290 |
| Optical Manager | 12.53% | 6,274 |
| Surgical Scrub Technician | 12.80% | 40,168 |
| Nuclear Medicine Specialist | 21.93% | 12,512 |
Foreign languages spoken by optometric technicians
The most common foreign language among optometric technicians is Spanish at 69.3%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 5.1% and Russian is the third-most popular at 2.8%.
- Spanish, 69.3%
- French, 5.1%
- Russian, 2.8%
- Hindi, 2.3%
- Polish, 2.3%
- Other, 18.2%
Optometric technician languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 69.3% |
| French | 5.1% |
| Russian | 2.8% |
| Hindi | 2.3% |
| Polish | 2.3% |
| Other | 18.2% |
