Biomedical Salaries in Optics and Photonics: Engineering Greater Health
Biomedical salaries in optics and photonics
Biomedical engineers and scientists improve human health by solving complex technical challenges. The average salary for biomedical workers in optics and photonics was $84,306 worldwide in 2018. This table, and all other data on this page, comes from the 2019 Optics and Photonics Salary Report.
| 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile |
| $30,000 | $62,710 | $114,018 |
How do earnings of new graduates compare to biomedical veterans?
Biomedical starting salaries are well below the overall median but rise quickly as employees gain experience. Pay rises at each level of seniority, and the pattern suggests solid gains in earnings over the course of a long career.
| Years Employed | Median Salary 2018 |
| Less than one year | $35,000 |
| 1-2 years | $49,000 |
| 3-5 years | $50,000 |
| 6-10 years | $53,743 |
| 11-15 years | $52,377 |
| 16-20 years | $71,821 |
| 21-25 years | $89,066 |
| 26-30 years | $107,000 |
| More than 30 years | $114,009 |
What are the highest-paid job levels in biomedical optics and photonics?
Unsurprisingly, senior executives, vice-presidents, and directors are paid the highest, while academic positions fall lower on the scale.
| Rank | Job level | Median Salary |
| 1 | C-level or senior executive | $212,500 |
| 2 | Vice-president | $177,000 |
| 3 | Director | $159,625 |
| 4 | Supervisor or manager | $105,500 |
| 5 | Lead or senior level | $96,915 |
| 6 | Full professor | $86,083 |
| 7 | Staff | $69,394 |
| 8 | Assistant professor | $57,009 |
| 9 | Associate professor | $51,093 |
| 10 | Postdoc | $47,484 |
| 11 | Technician, operator, or lab tech | $46,000 |
Are there gender differences in representation and pay?
Gender representation and pay for biomedical workers mirrors broader patterns in the optics and photonics community, where women make up 19 percent of the workforce, and have lower median salaries. Most biomedical workers are men (78%) and median salaries are higher for male biomedical workers.
| Gender | Percentage of Workers | Median Salary |
| Male | 78% | $65,000 |
| Female | 22% | $52,780 |
Which countries have the highest biomedical salaries in optics and photonics?
Biomedical engineers and scientists in Israel, Switzerland, and the United States enjoy the highest salaries.
• Israel: $147,095
• Switzerland: $141,711
• United States: $107,000
What kinds of engineering degrees are most popular?
Almost two thirds of optics and photonics biomedical workers are engineers (60%). These engineers are trained in a variety of specialties, including:
• Biomedical engineering: 33%
• Optical engineering: 33%
• Electrical engineering: 11%
• Mechanical engineering: 6%
• Software engineering: 4%
• Computer engineering: 4%
These results suggest that engineering students interested in biomedical optics and photonics can achieve success with specialized training in optics or biomedical, or through more general tracks such as electrical, mechanical, or software engineering.
For more information on optics and photonics salaries, plus details on methods and sampling, visit the 2019 SPIE Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report.
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