Aromatic compounds are one important kind of precursors of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). The atmospheric oxidation of aromatic compounds can produce light-absorbing brown carbon (BrC). Therefore, understanding the optical properties (e.g., light scattering, light absorption, and single scattering albedo) of SOA formed from aromatic compounds has great implications on the quantification of their impact on air quality, visibility, and climate change. In this review, we summarise the optical properties of SOA formed from three typical kinds of aromatic compounds in laboratory studies: single-ring aromatic hydrocarbons, oxygenated aromatic compounds, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The similarities and differences of light scattering and absorption parameters from literature are analyzed and compared, the impacts of various environmental factors on SOA optical properties are summarised, and the key research directions in the future are proposed.