An optically pumped radiation-emitting semiconductor device with a surface-emitting quantum well structure (10), which has at least one quantum layer (11), and an active layer (8) for generating pump radiation (9) for optically pumping the quantum well structure (10), which is arranged parallel to the quantum layer (11). The semiconductor device has at least one emission region (12), in which the quantum well structure (10) is optically pumped, and at least one pump region (13). The quantum well structure (10) and the active pump layer (8) extend over the pump region (13) and over the emission region (12) of the semiconductor device, and the pump radiation (9) is coupled into the emission region (12) in the lateral direction.