Prevailing Wage for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians
Prevailing wage floors for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians (SOC 51-9083) are set by DOL and vary significantly depending on where the work is performed. Whether your offer title reads Edger Technician, Finishing Lab Technician, or Optical Lab Technician, DOL assigns four experience-based wage levels, and the floor for each shifts city by city.
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Level 1 covers entry-level technicians performing routine tasks under close supervision, typically with less than two years of hands-on lens cutting, grinding, or edging experience and limited independent judgment in optical fabrication workflows.
Level 2 applies to qualified technicians who work with moderate supervision and handle a range of standard optical fabrication tasks independently. This is the most common filing level for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians, reflecting typical production lab roles.
Level 3 covers experienced technicians who handle complex lens prescriptions, troubleshoot fabrication errors, and may guide newer staff. They exercise significant independent judgment and require minimal oversight across most optical lab functions.
Level 4 is reserved for fully competent senior technicians or lead lab roles with broad responsibility, including quality control oversight, advanced surfacing or specialty lens work, and recognized expertise across the full scope of optical fabrication.
Prevailing Wage for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Confirm your worksite city matches the LCA
Optical lab technician roles often sit inside retail optical chains with multiple locations. The LCA must list the actual production worksite, not the corporate address. A mismatch between the filed city and your real bench location can undermine prevailing wage compliance entirely.
Watch for title aliasing between SOC codes
Some employers file Edger Technician or Line Operator roles under a broader manufacturing SOC rather than 51-9083, which can produce a lower prevailing wage floor. Confirm the SOC on your LCA matches Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians before accepting any sponsored offer.
Check sponsor history for optical lab roles on Migrate Mate
Optical lab sponsorship is concentrated among a small set of national chains and specialty lens manufacturers. Migrate Mate shows which employers have actually sponsored Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians or related roles before, so you can focus on proven sponsors rather than starting from scratch.
Treat signing bonuses as outside the wage floor
DOL prevailing wage compliance is measured against the regular rate of pay, not one-time payments. A signing bonus that brings total first-year compensation above the floor does not satisfy the requirement if the base hourly or annual rate falls short on its own.
Jobs for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 51-9083.00 alongside Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Edger Technician Prevailing Wage
Edger Technician Prevailing Wage
Edger Technician positions fall under SOC 51-9083.00 (Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Finishing Lab Technician Prevailing Wage
Finishing Lab Technician Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Finishing Lab Technician for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 51-9083.00 (Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Lab Technician (Laboratory Technician) Prevailing Wage
Lab Technician (Laboratory Technician) Prevailing Wage
Lab Technician (Laboratory Technician) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 51-9083.00 (Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Lens Grinder and Polisher Prevailing Wage
Lens Grinder and Polisher Prevailing Wage
Lens Grinder and Polisher positions fall under SOC 51-9083.00 (Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Line Operator Prevailing Wage
Line Operator Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Line Operator for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 51-9083.00 (Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Optical Lab Technician (Optical Laboratory Technician) Prevailing Wage
Optical Lab Technician (Optical Laboratory Technician) Prevailing Wage
Optical Lab Technician (Optical Laboratory Technician) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 51-9083.00 (Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Optical Technician Prevailing Wage
Optical Technician Prevailing Wage
Optical Technician positions fall under SOC 51-9083.00 (Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Polisher Prevailing Wage
Polisher Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Polisher for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 51-9083.00 (Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Surfacing Technician Prevailing Wage
Surfacing Technician Prevailing Wage
Surfacing Technician is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 51-9083.00 (Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics through employer surveys across hundreds of metro areas. For SOC 51-9083, DOL translates the raw wage distribution into four levels tied to experience and supervision. Employers filing an LCA for a sponsored technician must pay at least the level that matches the position's actual duties and oversight requirements.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify which one applies to me?
The four levels reflect increasing experience and independence: Level 1 is entry with close supervision, Level 2 is qualified with moderate supervision, Level 3 is experienced with significant independent judgment, and Level 4 is fully competent in a senior or lead capacity. USCIS and DOL both expect the level to match the actual job duties on the LCA and petition, not just the title. Review the job description carefully and compare it against DOL's level definitions before filing.
Why does the prevailing wage for this occupation vary so much from city to city?
DOL's wage floors are built from regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, so they reflect local labor market conditions. Metro areas with higher costs of living and denser employer competition, like San Francisco and Los Angeles, produce higher OES medians and therefore higher prevailing wage floors. The LCA rule requires employers to use the wage for the specific worksite metro, not the national median, which is why the same Optical Lab Technician role carries a much higher floor in California than in Texas or Puerto Rico.
What happens if an employer offers below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An LCA that certifies a wage below the applicable DOL prevailing wage level is grounds for USCIS to deny the H-1B or other sponsored petition. If the underpayment is discovered after approval, DOL's Wage and Hour Division can assess back wages and disqualify the employer from future sponsorship. For the worker, a denial or revocation means loss of authorized status. The offer must meet the floor before any petition is filed, not after.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up SOC 51-9083 for any metro area covered by DOL's survey data. Select the worksite area, enter the occupation code, and the tool returns all four wage levels. Cross-check against the O*NET profile to confirm the SOC code fits your actual duties. For finding employers with a verified history of sponsoring this role, Migrate Mate filters sponsored job listings by occupation and location so you can see which companies have filed before.
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