Optical absorption spectroscopy of individual tissue components is commonly used to identify optimum wavelengths for noninvasive light-based physiological monitoring. However, absorption spectroscopy has historically covered primarily the VIS and NIR wavelengths ranging from 400 to 1,000 nm. This limitation was primarily due to hardware lacking sensitivity at longer wavelengths. Hardware advancements in the SWIR range have enabled investigators to explore the SWIR wavelength range, from approximately 1,000 nm up to 3,000 nm. This region has characteristic absorption peaks for lipid, protein, and water, which are difficult to visualize in the VIS-NIR and can provide label-free sources of biological contrast. Additionally, melanin, the primary chromophore responsible for skin pigmentation, has lower SWIR absorption. Researchers have found that in vivo optical devices like clinically standard pulse oximeters may have reduced accuracy in people with darkly pigmented skin because they do not account for stronger melanin absorption in the VIS and NIR range. Thus, devices operating in the SWIR could significantly reduce error due to skin pigmentation. Understanding the absorption properties of core tissue components from the VIS to the SWIR range is vital for effective optical instrument design. These datasets provide detailed absorption values spanning the VIS to the SWIR of the following common tissue absorbers: oxygenated hemoglobin, deoxygenated hemoglobin, melanin, water, and lipids.