Optics And Photonics salary: $171K median

Lead roles advertise a median of $222K, 19% more than senior roles ($186K). The level comes from the job title; titles without a level word are counted separately.

• OHardware Strategic Sourcing Manager, OpticsOpenAI · 🇺🇸San Francisco$226K - $378K2mo
• LSr Staff Integrated Photonics Laser Systems ArchitectLightmatter · 🇺🇸Boston, MA; Mountain View, CA$212K - $320KLeadPython2mo
• PDirector, Electro-Optical ValidationPsiQuantum · 🇺🇸Milpitas, California$190K - $318KLead4w
• CSenior Staff Optics Engineer, Network Qualification & StrategyCrusoe · 🇺🇸San Francisco, CA - US$250K - $300KLead5w
• LSr. Staff Product Manager (Photonics)Lightmatter · 🇺🇸Boston, MA; Mountain View, CA$214K - $286KLead6w
• SPrincipal Optical Engineer (Starfall)SpaceX · 🇺🇸Hawthorne, CA$190K - $285KLeadPythonC++Linux2mo
• PSenior Director, Finance Business Partner – Optical Circuit Switch (OCS)PsiQuantum · 🇺🇸Palo Alto, California$168K - $282KLead2mo
• SSr. High-Speed Electro-Optical IC Engineer (RFIC Engineering)SpaceX · 🇺🇸Palo Alto, CA$175K - $280KSenior4w
• IPrincipal Photonic Device Design EngineerIonQ · 🇺🇸Santa Barbara, California, United States$212K - $275KLead7w
• OPhotonics Sensing ArchitectOura · 🇺🇸Hybrid - San Francisco, California$216K - $255KMachine Learning8w
• RSenior Program Manager II - Laser CommunicationsRocket Lab · 🇺🇸Long Beach, CA$153K - $230KSeniorJira2w
• MSenior Optical Test EngineerMuon Space · 🇺🇸Mountain View, CA$179K - $230KSeniorPythonC++5w
• LSenior Network Engineer, Edge & Optical TransportLightning AI · Remote$180K - $225KRemoteSeniorPythonPyTorchAnsible2d
• MSenior Optical EngineerMuon Space · 🇺🇸Mountain View, CA$171K - $218KSeniorPythonC++5mo
• WHardware Engineer, LIDAR Performance ValidationWaymo · 🇺🇸Mountain View, CA, USA$159K - $196KPythonC++MATLAB7mo
• RSenior Program Manager I - Laser CommunicationsRocket Lab · 🇺🇸Long Beach, CA$125K - $188KSeniorJira2w
• ISenior Photonics Test EngineerIonQ · 🇺🇸Boston, Massachusetts, United States$127K - $166KSeniorPythonMATLAB5mo
• TElectro-Optical Engineer IITrue Anomaly · 🇺🇸Denver, CO$95K - $155KPythonMATLAB5mo
• GLaser Welding Engineer, Cell LineGotion · 🇺🇸Manteno, Illinois$80K - $120K19mo
• AElectro-Optical EngineerApex Technology · 🇺🇸Los Angeles$90K - $120K2w

What is the average Optics And Photonics salary?

$174K a year on average and $171K at the median, across 88 open Optics And Photonics postings at tech companies that state pay (November 2026). The median is the better guide: a few very high offers pull the average up.

What is the typical range?

The middle half of the postings offer $142K to $208K a year. A quarter offer less and a quarter offer more.

Which companies advertise the highest Optics And Photonics pay?

Lightmatter ($217K), PsiQuantum ($166K), IonQ ($146K), by the median of their open postings that state pay (three postings or more).

Where do these figures come from?

From the pay ranges employers print in their own job postings, read from their careers pages every hour. The midpoint of each range is counted. These are advertised ranges for open roles, mostly in the United States and in US dollars, not what people are actually paid.