Makes and fits custom artificial eyes for people who have lost an eye to injury, cancer, or disease. BLS does not publish separate figures for medical appliance technicians; it counts them within medical appliance technician (SOC 51-9082), whose median pay is $48,030 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 51-9082
- Production
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Ocularist in four numbers
- Median pay
- $48,030a year, or $23.09/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $37KTop 10% $76K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.5%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3.5%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3.5% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 1,30011,300 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202511.3K
- Projected 203511.7K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 11.3K Projected 2035 11.7K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Board Certified Ocularist, BCO, Artificial Eye Maker, Ocular Prosthetist, Prosthetic Eye Specialist.
Pay
How much do Medical Appliance Technicians make?
Every ocularist in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$48,030
Middle half earn $42,210 to $60,580
- 10th
- $36,510
- 25th
- $42,210
- 75th
- $60,580
- 90th
- $75,740
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $36,510 |
| 25th | $42,210 |
| Median | $48,030 |
| 75th | $60,580 |
| 90th | $75,740 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $48,030
- Median hourly wage
- $23.09/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $52,730
- People employed
- 11,280
Versus all US occupations
At $48,030, Medical Appliance Technicians earn 6% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $2,950 a year.
Versus production occupations
The median is typical for the Production group, where the middle occupation pays $48,030.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $75,740 or more while the bottom 10% earn $36,510, a gap of 2.1×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 18% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Arizona pays the most at $72,760, and still leads at $72,271 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Medical Appliance Technicians the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Arizona | $72,760 | $72,271 | 300 |
| 2Pennsylvania | $60,920 | $62,436 | 200 |
| 3Massachusetts | $59,810 | $56,554 | N/A |
| 4Colorado | $59,560 | $57,796 | N/A |
| 5Virginia | $56,260 | $55,646 | 260 |
| 6New Hampshire | $54,980 | $52,782 | 40 |
| 7Nebraska | $54,770 | $60,786 | 170 |
| 8North Carolina | $54,650 | $57,937 | 600 |
| 9Connecticut | $54,430 | $52,534 | 130 |
| 10Minnesota | $53,750 | $54,502 | N/A |
Job outlook
Is Ocularist a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.5% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Medical Appliance Technicians | +3.5% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Medical Appliance Technicians to change 3.5% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 400 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 1,300 openings are projected each year, 11.5% of the 11,300 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become an Ocularist
There are no ocularist degree programs in the United States, so training happens through apprenticeship under an experienced ocularist, typically lasting several years. The American Society of Ocularists offers education courses, and apprentices work toward certification while training.
The National Examining Board of Ocularists (NEBO) awards the Board Certified Ocularist (BCO) credential after a written and practical exam, and certified ocularists keep the credential through continuing education. A few states license ocularists. People often enter with backgrounds in art, dental technology, or optics.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
The work
What does an Ocularist do?
Ocularists design, make, and fit custom ocular prostheses, often called artificial eyes, for patients who have lost an eye. After the ophthalmologist removes the eye, the ocularist takes an impression of the eye socket, shapes an acrylic form that fits comfortably and moves naturally, and then hand-paints the iris and blood vessels to match the patient's other eye.
They also make scleral shells that fit over damaged eyes, adjust and polish existing prostheses, and see patients for regular cleaning and refitting. Many patients are children whose prostheses must be enlarged as they grow. Ocularists teach patients how to remove, clean, and care for their prosthesis.
Day-to-day tasks
- Take impressions of the eye socket for a custom fit
- Shape and mold acrylic ocular prostheses
- Hand-paint irises and vessels to match a patient's natural eye
- Fit prostheses and adjust them for comfort and movement
- Make scleral shells to cover damaged eyes
- Polish and refit existing prostheses
- Teach patients how to handle and clean their prostheses
- Coordinate care with ophthalmologists and oculoplastic surgeons
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Most ocularists work in small private practices, sometimes family-run, or in hospital eye departments, and many travel to satellite offices. The work alternates between patient appointments and detailed laboratory work involving acrylic molding, painting under magnification, and polishing. Schedules are usually regular business hours.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeOn their feet more than half the working day.
Bending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Reading Comprehension3.6
- Active Listening3.6
- Speaking3.6
- Monitoring3.3
- Active Learning3.1
- Writing2.9
- Learning Strategies2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.6 |
| Active Listening | 3.6 |
| Speaking | 3.6 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 |
| Active Learning | 3.1 |
| Writing | 2.9 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Quality Control Analysis3.8
- Troubleshooting3.4
- Judgment and Decision Making3.4
- Social Perceptiveness3.3
- Operations Monitoring3.3
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Service Orientation3.0
- Operation and Control3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.8 |
| Troubleshooting | 3.4 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.4 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.3 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.3 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 |
| Service Orientation | 3.0 |
| Operation and Control | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
- Medical software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits an Ocularist?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ARS) built on O*NET's Medical Appliance Technician profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Ocularist |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 7 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 3 |
| Social | 4 |
| Enterprising | 1 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with teaching, helping and working directly with other people.
- Realistic7.0
- Social4.0
- Investigative4.0
- Conventional3.7
- Artistic3.2
- Enterprising1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Ocularist
O*NET related occupations
- Production
- Production
- Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Production
- Production
- Production
Molder, Shaper, and Caster, Except Metal and Plastic
$46,170median a year
Most earn $36K to $62K
+5.8%High school
More production careers
Median annual pay, with medical appliance technicians highlighted
- Power Plant Operator$102,040
- Tool and Die Maker$64,050
- Machinist$58,750
- Welder$53,750
- Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter$51,330
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator$50,690
- Ocularist$48,030
- Butcher and Meat Cutter$40,140
- Baker$37,160
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Power Plant Operator | $102,040 |
| Tool and Die Maker | $64,050 |
| Machinist | $58,750 |
| Welder | $53,750 |
| Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter | $51,330 |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator | $50,690 |
| Ocularist | $48,030 |
| Butcher and Meat Cutter | $40,140 |
| Baker | $37,160 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Ocularist appears on
Questions
Ocularist: frequently asked questions
How much do Medical Appliance Technicians make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for medical appliance technicians. It counts them within medical appliance technician, whose median pay is $48,030 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $42,210 and $60,580, and the top 10% earn $75,740 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Ocularist?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Medical Appliance Technicians. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training.
Is Ocularist a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.5% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 1,300 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Ocularist do?
Ocularists design, make, and fit custom ocular prostheses, often called artificial eyes, for patients who have lost an eye. A typical task: take impressions of the eye socket for a custom fit. Employers most often ask for Computer aided design CAD software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Medical Appliance Technicians the most?
The highest state medians for Medical Appliance Technicians are Arizona ($72,760), Pennsylvania ($60,920), Massachusetts ($59,810) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits an Ocularist?
O*NET scores Medical Appliance Technicians highest on the Realistic, Social and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with teaching, helping and working directly with other people. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, ISTP, ISFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.