2011 Optics and Photonics Salary Survey Report - Key Findings

In April and May of 2011, in an effort to provide the global community with comprehensive, comparative, and validated salary data, SPIE conducted a Global Salary Survey of the optics and photonics community - the largest survey of its kind. The goal of the survey was to capture the full breadth of employment and compensation patterns across regions, disciplines, and types of organizations. Questions addressed professional focus, level of education, type of employer, earnings level, and much more. This report summarizes the survey's main results.

SPIE sent survey invitations via email to its global database. Over 6800 valid responses were gathered, with 96% of participants located in North America, Europe, and Asia. Respondents from Latin America/Caribbean, Oceania, and Africa provided the balance of data. Ninety-three countries are represented in the sample¹. Complete survey methodology and footnotes

Key Findings 

• The median salary for survey respondents is $80,000,² with a very wide distribution.
• The factors most associated with higher salaries are North American location and non-university employment.
• Median salaries are 33% higher for men than for women, with the largest gap in the corporate sector, and the smallest gap at government employers.
• The highest-paid discipline is aerospace engineering/research, with a median income of $110,000.