Assistant Optical Engineer Salary in the United States
How much does an Assistant Optical Engineer make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for an Assistant Optical Engineer in the United States is $89,903 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $43.
However, an Assistant Optical Engineer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $100,816
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $83,974 to $95,616
Key Factors That Influence Assistant Optical Engineer Salaries
An Assistant Optical Engineer'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 Assistant Optical Engineer Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of an Assistant Optical Engineer'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:
How Do Assistant Optical Engineer Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Assistant Optical Engineers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $99,541.
California: $99,163.
Massachusetts: $97,842.
District of Columbia$99,541
California$99,163
Massachusetts$97,842
Washington$97,482
New Jersey$97,446
Alaska$97,320
Connecticut$96,080
New York$95,576
Hawaii$93,967
Rhode Island$93,212
Maryland$92,699
Minnesota$91,998
Colorado$91,728
Illinois$91,639
Oregon$91,297
Delaware$91,045
New Hampshire$90,887
Virginia$90,533
Pennsylvania$89,499
Nevada$88,977
North Dakota$88,807
Michigan$88,537
Wisconsin$88,438
Vermont$88,240
Texas$87,692
Maine$87,656
Arizona$87,602
Ohio$87,539
Georgia$86,712
Indiana$86,298
Wyoming$86,217
Utah$86,091
Iowa$86,038
Kansas$85,606
Louisiana$85,480
North Carolina$85,435
Missouri$85,417
Florida$85,067
Montana$84,878
Nebraska$84,698
Kentucky$84,599
South Carolina$84,239
Tennessee$84,015
Idaho$83,925
New Mexico$83,269
Oklahoma$83,125
Alabama$82,594
South Dakota$81,704
Arkansas$81,219
West Virginia$80,958
Mississippi$80,176
Top Paying Cities for Assistant Optical Engineers
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: $113,395
San Francisco: $112,154
Oakland: $109,790
San Jose, CA$113,395
San Francisco, CA$112,154
Oakland, CA$109,790
New York, NY$103,514
Paramus, NJ$102,255
Queens Village, NY$102,251
Passaic, NJ$102,165
Bergenfield, NJ$102,157
Stamford, CT$101,959
Huntington, NY$101,923
Newark, NJ$101,258
Bridgeport, CT$101,069
Vallejo, CA$100,890
New Brunswick, NJ$100,854
Petaluma, CA$100,800
Middlesex, NJ$100,629
Somerset, NJ$100,566
Santa Cruz, CA$100,449
Boston, MA$99,901
Monterey, CA$99,585
Seattle, WA$99,379
Santa Rosa, CA$99,361
Los Angeles, CA$99,334
Juneau, AK$99,101
Washington, DC$99,002
Orange, CA$98,682
Santa Ana, CA$98,444
Long Beach, CA$98,354
Anaheim, CA$98,336
Anchorage, AK$98,291
Santa Maria, CA$98,022
Everett, WA$98,004
Danbury, CT$97,687
Bremerton, WA$97,563
Tacoma, WA$97,240
New Suffolk, NY$97,238
Sacramento, CA$97,213
Santa Barbara, CA$97,114
Trenton, NJ$97,015
San Diego, CA$97,015
Brockton, MA$96,916
Fairbanks, AK$96,696
Lompoc, CA$96,466
Lowell, MA$96,394
Ventura, CA$96,376
Nashua, NH$96,358
Stockton, CA$96,349
Modesto, CA$95,693
Poughkeepsie, NY$95,495
Olympia, WA$95,325
Kennewick, WA$95,325
New Haven, CT$95,289
Lawrence, MA$94,965
Hartford, CT$94,875
Riverside, CA$94,857
New Bedford, MA$94,767
Richland, WA$94,767
Bakersfield, CA$94,641
San Bernardino, CA$94,605
New Britain, CT$94,596
Atlantic City, NJ$94,596
New London, CT$94,560
Norwich, CT$94,533
Portsmouth, NH$94,515
Boulder, CO$94,325
Portland, OR$94,201
Worcester, MA$94,192
Minneapolis, MN$93,913
Philadelphia, PA$93,787
Honolulu, HI$93,491
Saint Paul, MN$93,447
Vineland, NJ$93,428
Providence, RI$93,167
Chicago, IL$92,906
Bellingham, WA$92,798
Springfield, MA$92,726
Baltimore, MD$92,699
Chico, CA$92,475
Pittsfield, MA$92,232
Manchester, NH$92,061
Spokane, WA$91,666
Denver, CO$91,657
Albany, NY$91,234
Troy, NY$91,198
Nassau, NY$91,102
Schenectady, NY$91,009
Wilmington, DE$90,937
Burlington, VT$90,811
Salem, OR$90,775
Portland, ME$90,497
Yakima, WA$90,407
Rochester, MN$90,128
Reno, NV$90,083
Fresno, CA$90,083
Milwaukee, WI$90,002
Detroit, MI$89,912
Ann Arbor, MI$89,897
Allentown, PA$89,885
Colorado Springs, CO$89,733
Syracuse, NY$89,688
Carson City, NV$89,688
Houston, TX$89,562
Eugene, OR$89,517
Gary, IN$89,409
Springfield, OR$89,337
Bismarck, ND$89,319
Galveston, TX$89,256
Medford, OR$89,121
Fort Collins, CO$89,085
Concord, NH$89,040
Austin, TX$89,013
Mesa, AZ$88,825
Reading, PA$88,816
Phoenix, AZ$88,807
Dallas, TX$88,780
Saint Cloud, MN$88,693
Madison, WI$88,573
Utica, NY$88,330
Rochester, NY$88,186
Des Moines, IA$88,177
Raleigh, NC$88,168
Atlanta, GA$88,033
Battle Creek, MI$88,006
Salt Lake City, UT$87,979
Lancaster, PA$87,845
Harrisburg, PA$87,719
Kansas City, MO$87,629
Champaign, IL$87,611
Kansas City, KS$87,611
Fort Worth, TX$87,602
Columbus, OH$87,587
Boca Raton, FL$87,566
Pittsburgh, PA$87,530
Richmond, VA$87,494
Indianapolis, IN$87,476
Cleveland, OH$87,467
Las Vegas, NV$87,359
Cincinnati, OH$87,359
Petersburg, VA$87,224
Huntsville, AL$87,089
Lansing, MI$87,029
Lebanon, PA$87,018
Pueblo, CO$87,009
Appleton, WI$86,982
Buffalo, NY$86,946
Dayton, OH$86,919
Racine, WI$86,901
Charlotte, NC$86,892
Saint Louis, MO$86,865
York, PA$86,811
Elkhart, IN$86,811
Gastonia, NC$86,794
Billings, MT$86,772
Beaumont, TX$86,748
Lorain, OH$86,730
Benton Harbor, MI$86,712
Toledo, OH$86,694
Binghamton, NY$86,649
Rock Hill, SC$86,640
Rockford, IL$86,595
Springfield, IL$86,559
Elyria, OH$86,550
Fargo, ND$86,550
Flagstaff, AZ$86,487
Fort Lauderdale, FL$86,433
Duluth, MN$86,379
Miami, FL$86,379
Cheyenne, WY$86,316
Grand Forks, ND$86,316
Bangor, ME$86,118
Cedar Rapids, IA$86,020
Durham, NC$85,982
Louisville, KY$85,975
Grand Rapids, MI$85,957
Hialeah, FL$85,948
Casper, WY$85,822
Scranton, PA$85,714
New Orleans, LA$85,687
Virginia Beach, VA$85,678
Akron, OH$85,633
Peoria, IL$85,516
Sarasota, FL$85,498
Nashville, TN$85,435
Omaha, NE$85,435
Green Bay, WI$85,435
Baton Rouge, LA$85,390
Charleston, SC$85,372
Jamestown, NY$85,327
Davenport, IA$85,327
Tucson, AZ$85,282
Saint Petersburg, FL$85,228
Tampa, FL$85,210
Evansville, IN$85,157
Port Arthur, TX$85,157
Bradenton, FL$85,121
Santa Fe, NM$84,959
Orlando, FL$84,797
Clearwater, FL$84,770
Canton, OH$84,581
La Crosse, WI$84,581
Albuquerque, NM$84,527
Newport News, VA$84,518
High Point, NC$84,491
Ogden, UT$84,455
Corpus Christi, TX$84,383
Norfolk, VA$84,329
Laramie, WY$84,329
Rock Island, IL$84,275
Saginaw, MI$84,257
Jacksonville, FL$84,248
Salisbury, NC$84,230
Boise, ID$84,213
Moline, IL$84,168
Fort Myers, FL$84,141
Memphis, TN$84,123
Tulsa, OK$84,078
Waterloo, IA$84,024
Spartanburg, SC$83,934
Lincoln, NE$83,889
Fort Wayne, IN$83,871
Provo, UT$83,862
Cedar Falls, IA$83,754
San Antonio, TX$83,718
Greensboro, NC$83,682
South Bend, IN$83,673
Savannah, GA$83,574
Muskegon, MI$83,538
Birmingham, AL$83,529
Winston Salem, NC$83,485
Lake Charles, LA$83,269
Anderson, IN$83,251
Lexington, KY$83,224
Augusta, GA$83,197
Greenville, SC$83,197
Lima, OH$83,125
Wichita, KS$83,116
Tuscaloosa, AL$83,116
Columbia, SC$83,035
Springfield, OH$83,017
Asheville, NC$82,873
Bloomington, IN$82,810
Knoxville, TN$82,486
Shreveport, LA$82,477
Wilmington, NC$82,361
Roanoke, VA$82,361
Topeka, KS$82,199
Frankfort, KY$82,189
Oklahoma City, OK$82,127
Chillicothe, OH$82,091
Longview, TX$82,082
Melbourne, FL$82,073
Sioux Falls, SD$81,929
Mobile, AL$81,920
Terre Haute, IN$81,884
Altoona, PA$81,830
Amarillo, TX$81,767
Killeen, TX$81,740
Fayetteville, AR$81,668
Chattanooga, TN$81,641
Sioux City, IA$81,560
Idaho Falls, ID$81,542
Lynchburg, VA$81,470
Gainesville, FL$81,354
Portsmouth, OH$81,309
Little Rock, AR$81,291
Lafayette, LA$81,255
Youngstown, OH$81,255
Daytona Beach, FL$81,201
Clarksville, TN$81,192
Pensacola, FL$81,183
Temple, TX$81,176
Hopkinsville, KY$80,913
Erie, PA$80,895
Florence, SC$80,859
Charleston, WV$80,715
Great Falls, MT$80,670
Macon, GA$80,544
Tallahassee, FL$80,535
Fayetteville, NC$80,517
Waco, TX$80,500
Helena, MT$80,437
Pine Bluff, AR$80,402
Vincennes, IN$80,293
Lubbock, TX$80,257
Alamogordo, NM$80,203
Twin Falls, ID$80,122
Rapid City, SD$80,095
Jackson, MS$79,933
Huntington, WV$79,927
Greenville, MS$79,924
Parkersburg, WV$79,832
Montgomery, AL$79,816
Wichita Falls, TX$79,726
Springfield, MO$79,726
Biloxi, MS$79,681
Monroe, LA$79,591
Johnstown, PA$79,529
Sumter, SC$79,493
Columbus, GA$79,484
Pascagoula, MS$79,313
Abilene, TX$79,313
Kingsport, TN$79,079
Albany, GA$79,079
Gulfport, MS$79,052
Alexandria, LA$78,755
Fort Smith, AR$78,531
El Paso, TX$78,288
Las Cruces, NM$77,883
Harlingen, TX$77,655
Pocatello, ID$77,641
Florence, AL$77,524
Brownsville, TX$77,506
Mcallen, TX$77,317
Dothan, AL$77,191
Columbus, MS$76,657
Altus, OK$76,238
Lawton, OK$76,067
Pierre, SD$75,744
What Skills Can Increase an Assistant Optical Engineer's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Analysis (Mentioned in 5.97% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Linux (Mentioned in 2.02% Job Postings): Managing a system's hardware and resources using a Unix-like open-source operating system.
Agile (Mentioned in 1.67% Job Postings): Agile is a development process where feedback is continuously gathered from users to create the best user experience.
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 Assistant Optical Engineer's salary.
JavaScript: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
Assistant Optical Engineer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Assistant Optical Engineer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 26% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Financial Services and Pharmaceuticals
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 12% above the average.
In contrast, Assistant Optical Engineer positions in Retail & Wholesale or Transportation typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Assistant Optical Engineer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for an Assistant Optical Engineer
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Financial Services
$100,692
$48.0
12%
Pharmaceuticals
$100,692
$48.0
12%
Software & Networking
$100,692
$48.0
12%
Internet
$99,793
$48.0
11%
Energy & Utilities
$97,096
$47.0
8%
How Education impacts an Assistant Optical Engineer's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Assistant Optical Engineers enter the field with a Bachelor'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 Assistant Optical Engineer with a Bachelor's Degree is between
$86,378
and $90,322).
Assistant Optical Engineer Salaries by Degree Level
Understanding how an Assistant Optical Engineer'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 September 01, 2026
$83,974
Average$89,903/year
$95,616
$6,998
Average$7,492/month
$7,968
$1,615
Average$1,729/week
$1,839
$40
Average$43/hour
$46
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$95,616
$7,968
$1,839
$46
Average
$89,903
$7,492
$1,729
$43
25th Percentile
$83,974
$6,998
$1,615
$40
Salaries of Jobs related to Assistant Optical Engineer
Optical Engineer V$182,731
Optical Engineer IV$139,959
Optical Engineer III$120,265
Senior Optical Engineer$106,279
Optical Design Engineer$98,980
Optical Engineer II$94,128
Optical Manufacturing Engineer$79,967
Optical Test Engineer$79,801
Optical Network Engineer$78,203
Optical Engineer$69,738
Optical Assistant$62,583
Salary Trends for Assistant Optical Engineer
Salaries for an Assistant Optical Engineer can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $96,408 in 2023
to around $95,567 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Assistant Optical Engineer salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Assistant Optical Engineer Over Time
$???
$96,408
$96,313
$95,567
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$96,408
2024
$96,313
2025
$95,567
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Assistant Optical Engineer
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Assistant Optical Engineer
Here are companies hiring for Assistant Optical Engineer and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
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FAQ about Assistant Optical Engineer
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Assistant Optical Engineer?
The Financial Services industry offers the highest average compensation for Assistant Optical Engineer roles,
with salaries approximately 12% above the market median.
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.
