Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 51.18. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 116 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 52 | 313 | $35,580 | $38,061 | $9,490 2 programs |
| Associate's degree | 53 | 407 | $44,660 | $48,724 | $19,115 5 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 3 | 7 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 2 | 14 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 5 | 1 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Career College-Los Angeles CA · Private, for-profit · 80 graduates measured | $34,860 | $41,561 | $9,480 |
| American Career College-Ontario CA · Private, for-profit · 68 graduates measured | $30,933 | $37,742 | $9,500 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durham Technical Community College NC · Public · 17 graduates measured | $63,645 | $74,897 | Data unavailable |
| Hillsborough College FL · Public · 73 graduates measured | $59,146 | $57,215 | $19,115 |
| Miami Dade College FL · Public · 24 graduates measured | $56,779 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Pima Medical Institute-Tucson AZ · Private, for-profit · 30 graduates measured | $43,544 | $47,302 | Data unavailable |
| Pima Medical Institute-Denver CO · Private, for-profit · 30 graduates measured | $43,544 | $47,302 | Data unavailable |
| College of Southern Nevada NV · Public · 17 graduates measured | $41,788 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Roane State Community College TN · Public · 18 graduates measured | $39,049 | $41,665 | Data unavailable |
| Erie Community College NY · Public · 20 graduates measured | $34,817 | $45,933 | Data unavailable |
| Southwest University at El Paso TX · Private, for-profit · 23 graduates measured | $22,943 | Data unavailable | $25,555 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ophthalmic medical technicians | $45,570 | +21.4% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Opticians, dispensing | $47,260 | +4.2% | High school diploma or equivalent |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (5)
- 51.1801 Opticianry/Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician
- 51.1802 Optometric Technician/Assistant
- 51.1803 Ophthalmic Technician/Technologist
- 51.1804 Orthoptics/Orthoptist
- 51.1899 Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions, Other