Best Optician Programs in Washington (2026)

Quick answer: Opticians in Washington earn a median of $49,220 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited optician schools in Washington with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.

If you want to train as an optician in Washington, start by weighing program length, schedule, and cost at nearby schools. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $49,220 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Washington Quick Facts

MetricValueSource
State median annual wage$49,220BLS OEWS, May 2025
Washington pay range (10th to 90th percentile)$41,120 to $78,830BLS OEWS, May 2025
Top-paying Washington metro for this fieldWenatchee, WA, $60,140BLS OEWS, May 2025
National job outlook (2024 to 2034)+2.9% growth, about 6,800 openings per yearBLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
State employment2,100 workersBLS OEWS, May 2025
Washington location quotient1.25BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the Optician Career

What You’ll Find Below

The school listings below are sorted by proximity to Programs. Each entry includes the school name, address, and the credentials offered. Use the Washington figures above as a reference point when comparing program length, schedule, and tuition.

How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention. Advertising plays no part.

This page lists 5 schools within 675 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 5 of them carry a score.

Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%

Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.

#1

Lake Washington Institute of Technology

Kirkland, WA 64.5 miles away BOC Score 68.9
Tuition $5,997 - $16,339
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 38.3%
  • Programs offered: 53
  • Annual completions: 878
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $55,891 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Seattle Central College

Seattle, WA 66.3 miles away BOC Score 55.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 31.5% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 47
  • Annual completions: 802
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $60,072 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Idaho State University

Pocatello, ID 515.4 miles away BOC Score 52.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 38.8% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 78
  • Annual completions: 1123
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $58,142 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Montana State University

Bozeman, MT 490.0 miles away BOC Score 51.3
Tuition $8,460 - $33,287
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 82.1%
  • Graduation rate: 57.2%
  • Programs offered: 36
  • Annual completions: 582
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $65,157 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

San Jose City College

San Jose, CA 674.9 miles away BOC Score 47.4
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 33.1% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 31
  • Annual completions: 754
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $57,895 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Optician Pay and Job Outlook

Annual Wage by Percentile, United States - Opticians, Dispensing
Opticians, Dispensing annual wage percentiles, BLS OEWS May 2025P10 $35610, P25 $38820, P50 $47260, P75 $61700, P90 $76750.10th$35,61025th$38,82050th (median)$47,26075th$61,70090th$76,750
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Opticians, Dispensing annual wage percentiles
PercentileAnnual wage
10th$35,610
25th$38,820
50th (median)$47,260
75th$61,700
90th$76,750
Projected employment growth, United States, Opticians, Dispensing, 2024-2034
Opticians, Dispensing employment 2024 vs 2034 projection, BLS Employment Projections2024 employment 79900; 2034 projected employment 82200; percent change +2.9%.202479,900 jobs2034 (proj.)82,200 jobsChange: +2.9%
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
Opticians, Dispensing employment projection 2024 to 2034
YearEmployment
202479,900
2034 projected82,200
Percent change+2.9%

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does optician training take in Washington?

Optician certificate programs in Washington typically take 6 to 12 months of full-time study, while associate degree programs generally run about 2 years. Actual completion time depends on schedule (full-time vs. part-time) and any prerequisite coursework.

How much do opticians earn in Washington?

According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), opticians in Washington earned a median annual wage of approximately $49,220. Pay varies with experience, certification, and employer; the 10th to 90th percentile range was approximately $41,120 to $78,830 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

How many optician schools are in Washington?

The schools listed above are within about 800 miles of Programs. Compare them by tuition, program length, and the credential each one awards.


About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.

Data sources

Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.

DataProviderVintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMay 2025
Employment ProjectionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data SystemNational Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirementsCareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programsCareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2025-10-25)