Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians Salary
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians in Madison, WI make a median of $48,530 a year, or about $23.33 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $58K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.29), that's roughly $49,882 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,168/month, about 35.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $49K get you in Madison?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Madison’s Regional Price Parity (97.29). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About ophthalmic laboratory technicians
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What this looks like in Madison
Madison sits well above the national pay line for ophthalmic laboratory technicians, local pay runs about 23% higher than the U.S. median of $39K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,168/month, which is 35.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.29) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for ophthalmic laboratory technicians in metros near Madison, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $42K | $40K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $37K | $36K |
| St. Cloud | $39K | $45K |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $46K | $46K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Madison, WI
Entry-level ophthalmic laboratory technicians (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $58K or more, a $22K spread from bottom to top.
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | $62K | +58% | 170 |
| New Hampshire | $59K | +51% | 180 |
| Washington | $49K | +25% | 260 |
| Colorado | $49K | +23% | 320 |
| Rhode Island | $47K | +20% | 70 |
| New Jersey | $47K | +20% | N/A |
| California | $47K | +20% | 1,630 |
| Maryland | $47K | +19% | 360 |
| Ohio | $46K | +17% | 560 |
| Oregon | $46K | +16% | 250 |
| Michigan | $45K | +15% | 330 |
| Georgia | $45K | +14% | 960 |
| Kansas | $45K | +14% | N/A |
| North Carolina | $44K | +12% | 210 |
| Maine | $44K | +10% | 50 |
| Massachusetts | $43K | +9% | N/A |
| Wisconsin | $43K | +9% | 200 |
| New York | $42K | +8% | 1,250 |
| Nebraska | $41K | +3% | 170 |
| Minnesota | $40K | +2% | 1,110 |
| Nevada | $39K | -1% | 240 |
| Missouri | $39K | -2% | 360 |
| Arizona | $39K | -2% | 150 |
| New Mexico | $39K | -2% | 130 |
| Florida | $38K | -4% | 1,230 |
| Texas | $38K | -4% | 3,380 |
| Pennsylvania | $38K | -5% | 510 |
| Tennessee | $37K | -5% | 130 |
| Indiana | $37K | -5% | 330 |
| Louisiana | $37K | -6% | 300 |
| West Virginia | $37K | -6% | N/A |
| Arkansas | $37K | -6% | 170 |
| Alabama | $37K | -6% | 190 |
| Illinois | $37K | -7% | 830 |
| Kentucky | $37K | -7% | 610 |
| Oklahoma | $36K | -10% | 210 |
| Mississippi | $35K | -11% | 220 |
| Virginia | $34K | -13% | 470 |
| South Carolina | $34K | -13% | 130 |
| Iowa | $34K | -14% | 100 |
Showing 1–10 of 40 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track ophthalmic laboratory technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Madison numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a ophthalmic laboratory technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Madison?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 35.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,168/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for ophthalmic laboratory technicians in Madison?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new ophthalmic laboratory technicians typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,184/month. At HUD’s $1,168/month FMR, rent would take 53% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is ophthalmic laboratory technician a high-paying job in Madison?
Local pay is 23% above the national median — $49K here vs. $39K nationally.
How does Madison compare to the national average for ophthalmic laboratory technicians?
Madison pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $39K — that’s +23%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.29), the purchasing-power equivalent is $50K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do ophthalmic laboratory technicians make in Madison, WI?
The median is $48,530 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,400, and experienced ophthalmic laboratory technicians can clear $58,090. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Madison?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,292/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,168/month, which eats 35.5% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a ophthalmic laboratory technicians salary go in Madison?
Madison has a Regional Price Parity of 97.29 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median ophthalmic laboratory technicians salary is worth about $49,882 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do ophthalmic laboratory technicians get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.