Senior Optical Engineer Salary in the United States

How much does a Senior Optical Engineer make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Senior Optical Engineer in the United States is $106,277 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $51.

However, a Senior Optical Engineer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $129,575
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $93,553 to $118,472
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $81,969
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View as table View as graph 25% $93,553 10% $81,969 90% $129,575 75% $118,472 $106,277 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Senior Optical Engineer Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $118,472 $9,873 $2,278 $57
Average $106,277 $8,856 $2,044 $51
25th Percentile $93,553 $7,796 $1,799 $45
Check out Senior Optical Engineer Job Openings in the United States
Sr Field Application Engineer

TE Connectivity - Columbus, OH

Sr Quality Assurance Engineer

Corporate One FCU - Columbus, OH

UK Sr Software Engineer

JumpMind, LLC - Columbus, OH

Sr Quality Engineer

Blue Star Partners LLC - Columbus, OH

Search More Senior Optical Engineer Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Senior Optical Engineer Salaries

A Senior 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 Senior Optical Engineer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Senior 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:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $73,777
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $101,309
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $107,160
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $137,160
  • Expert (over 8 years): $158,210
Levels Salary
Environme... Level Senior Optical Engineer$73,777
Environme... Level Senior Optical Engineer$101,309
Senior Op... Level Senior Optical Engineer$107,160
Environme... Level Senior Optical Engineer$137,160
Environme... Level Senior Optical Engineer$158,210
$73,777 0 yr
$101,309 < 2 yrs
$107,160 2-4 yrs
$137,160 5-8 yrs
$158,210 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

How Do Senior 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 Senior Optical Engineers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $117,670.
  • California: $117,224.
  • Massachusetts: $115,661.

Top Paying Cities for Senior 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: $134,047
  • San Francisco: $132,579
  • Oakland: $129,785

What Skills Can Increase a Senior Optical Engineer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 6.43% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Safety Management (Mentioned in 2.07% Job Postings): Applying safety principles, framework, processes, and measures to prevent accidents, injuries, and other adverse consequences.
  • Risk Assessment (Mentioned in 1.6% Job Postings): Broadly speaking, a risk assessment is the combined effort of: identifying and analyzing potential (future) events that may negatively impact individuals, assets, and/or the environment (i.e. risk analysis); and making judgments "on the tolerability of the risk on the basis of a risk analysis" while considering influencing factors (i.e. risk evaluation).Put in simpler terms, a risk assessment analyzes what can go wrong, how likely it is to happen, what the potential consequences are, and how tolerable the identified risk is. As part of this process, the resulting determination of risk may be expressed in a quantitative or qualitative fashion. The risk assessment is an inherent part of an overall risk management strategy, which attempts to, after a risk assessment, "introduce control measures to eliminate or reduce" any potential risk-related consequences.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 6.43%
Safety Management 2.07%
Risk Assessment 1.6%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
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 a Senior Optical Engineer's salary.
  • Physical Security: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
  • CCTV: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Asset Protection: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Physical Security
$114,779
8%
CCTV
$113,716
7%
Asset Protection
$113,716
7%
Initiative
$110,528
4%
Collaboration
$110,528
4%
Customer Service
$109,465
3%
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Senior Optical Engineer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Senior Optical Engineer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 55% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Insurance and Software & Networking sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 25% above the average. In contrast, Senior Optical Engineer positions in Media or Retail & Wholesale typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Senior Optical Engineer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Senior Optical Engineer

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Insurance$132,846$64.025%
Software & Networking$132,846$64.025%
Energy & Utilities$127,532$61.020%
Pharmaceuticals$127,532$61.020%
Aerospace & Defense$122,219$59.015%

How Education impacts a Senior Optical Engineer's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Senior 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 a Senior Optical Engineer with a Bachelor's Degree is between $114,395 and $126,434).

Senior Optical Engineer Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Senior Optical Engineer
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.3%
High School 20.1%
Associates 11.9%
Bachelors 42.7%
Masters 23.6%
Doctorate 1.4%
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Senior Optical Engineer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Senior 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.

Last Updated on August 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Senior Optical Engineer

Salaries for a Senior Optical Engineer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $101,299 in 2023 to around $99,468 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Senior Optical Engineer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Senior Optical Engineer Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$101,299
2024
$100,573
2025
$99,468
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $101,299
2024 $100,573
2025 $99,468
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Senior Optical Engineer

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Senior Optical Engineer

Here are companies hiring for Senior Optical Engineer and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Senior Optical Engineer Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Senior Optical Engineer job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

United States
  • giftHEALTH Inc

    Columbus, OH

    giftHEALTH Inc | Columbus, OH

    Job Description. Job Description. Description. About Us. At Gifthealth, we're revolutionizing the way people experience healthcare by simplifying the proce... more

    6 Days Ago

  • ComResource

    Columbus, OH

    ComResource | Columbus, OH

    Job Description. Job Description. ComResource is looking for a Senior Software Engineer (Kafka). Responsibilities. Design, develop, and maintain scalable b... more

    6 Days Ago

  • McKesson

    Columbus, OH

    McKesson | Columbus, OH

    McKesson is an impact-driven, Fortune 10 company that touches virtually every aspect of healthcare. We are known for delivering insights, products, and ser... more

    6 Days Ago

  • Impact.com

    Columbus, OH

    Impact.com | Columbus, OH

    Job Description. Job Description. The Company. impact.com is the world's leading commerce partnership marketing platform, transforming the way businesses g... more

    7 Days Ago

  • Blue Star Partners LLC

    Columbus, OH

    Blue Star Partners LLC | Columbus, OH

    Job Description. Job Description. Job Title. Senior SAP IT Engineer (Contract-to-Hire). Location. Columbus, OH. Work Model. Hybrid (Tuesday–Thursday onsite... more

    7 Days Ago

  • Jumpmind, Inc.

    Columbus, OH

    Jumpmind, Inc. | Columbus, OH

    Job Description. Job Description. Columbus, OH, US (hybrid work). Job Description. Jumpmind is looking for a Senior Software Engineer, who is passionate ab... more

    8 Days Ago

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FAQ about Senior Optical Engineer

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Senior Optical Engineer?

The Insurance industry offers the highest average compensation for Senior Optical Engineer roles, with salaries approximately 25% 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.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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