SOC 51-9083 · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro

Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians Salary in Riverside, CA

The average salary for ophthalmic laboratory technicians in Riverside, California is $51,900 a year ($24.95 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $47,470: half of the 110 people in this job in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 20% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($43,419).

$51,900average per year

$24.95 / hourMedian $47,470Take-home ≈ $42,575

  • $39K10th
  • $43K25th
  • $47KMedian
  • $61K75th
  • $72K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

110people in this job
+20%vs U.S. metro average
#3 of 4California metros
106cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians pay range in Riverside

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $39,170 a year or less, while the top 10% make $72,200 or more. The middle half of ophthalmic laboratory technicians in Riverside earn between $42,890 and $61,260.

  • $39K10th
  • $43K25th
  • $47KMedian
  • $61K75th
  • $72K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$51,900$4,325$24.95
Median$47,470$3,956$22.82
Entry level (25th percentile)$42,890$3,574$20.62
Experienced (75th percentile)$61,260$5,105$29.45

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians salary after taxes in Riverside

On the average salary of $51,900, a single filer in Riverside takes home about $42,575 a year, or $3,548 a month and $1,638 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

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Is Riverside a good place for ophthalmic laboratory technicians? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Riverside area are 6% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 106.4), so the average $51,900 buys what about $48,759 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Riverside ($48,400). A typical home costs $585,378, or 11.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $51,900 is worth in another city

Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians salary in other California cities

Riverside ranks 3rd of 4 California metro areas for this job; San Francisco pays the most ($60,920).

All Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for ophthalmic laboratory technicians

San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($60,920).

Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians salary by city

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Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians salary in Riverside: questions

How much do ophthalmic laboratory technicians make an hour in Riverside?

$24.95 an hour on average, and $22.82 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level ophthalmic laboratory technicians salary in Riverside?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $39,170 a year and the 25th percentile is $42,890, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the ophthalmic laboratory technicians take-home pay in Riverside?

About $42,575 a year ($3,548 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $51,900. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do ophthalmic laboratory technicians earn more in Riverside than elsewhere?

The average here is 20% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($43,419).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 51-9083; area Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA (40140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.7%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.55, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.55).

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