A discrete hybrid amplifier is disclosed for use in optical fiber systems. The amplifier uses one or more Raman laser pumps together with semiconductor optical amplifiers in series to produce a relatively level gain across the frequency range of interest. The Raman pump utilizes a length of highly non-linear fiber as the gain medium. The disclosed lower-cost hybrid amplifier is especially useful in coarse wavelength division multiplexing (CWDM) systems and in local access portions of the network.