Will “Benchroom Shop Optician” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

Job Description

Cut, grind, and polish eyeglasses, contact lenses, or other precision optical elements. Assemble and mount lenses into frames or process other optical elements. Includes precision lens polishers or grinders, centerer-edgers, and lens mounters.

Job Details

• The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 51-9083.00
• The Mean Annual Wage in the U.S. is $ 34,220.00
• The Mean Hourly Wage is $ 16.00
• Currently, there are 28,570 people on this job

☝️ Information based on the reference occupation “Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians”.

Also Known As…

• Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians
• Surfacing Technician
• Polisher
• Optical Technician
• Optical Lab Technician (Optical Laboratory Technician)
• Line Operator
• Lens Grinder and Polisher
• Lab Technician (Laboratory Technician)
• Grinder
• Finishing Lab Technician
• Edger Technician
• Test Technician
• Surfacer
• Surface Room Shop Optician
• Surface Grinder
• Spotter
• Spectacle Truer
• Prism Measurer
• Prescription Eyeglass Maker
• Precision Optical Goods Worker
• Precision Lens Polisher
• Precision Lens Grinder
• Precision Lens Generator
• Precision Lens Centerer and Edger
• Optical Worker
• Optical Mechanic
• Optical Laboratory Mechanic
• Optical Instrument Assembler
• Optical Goods Drilling Machine Operator
• Optical Goods Drill Operator
• Optical Element Coater
• Optical Coating Technician
• Ophthalmic Technician
• Lens Silverer
• Lens Shaper Grinder
• Lens Polisher
• Lens Mounter
• Lens Mold Setter
• Lens Maker
• Lens Grinder
• Lens Generator
• Lens Finisher
• Lens Fabricating Machine Tender
• Lens Edger
• Lens Dotter
• Lens Cutter
• Lens Coating Technician
• Lens Cementer
• Layout Technician
• Laboratory Operations Coordinator (Lab Operations Coordinator)
• Laboratory Monitor (Lab Monitor)
• Hospital Laboratory Technician (Hospital Lab Technician)
• Hand Lens Polisher
• Hand Glass Cutter
• Glass Silverer
• Glass Frame Fitter
• Glass Cutter
• Eyeglass Maker
• Eyeglass Lens Cutter
• Eyeglass Cutter
• Eyeglass Assembler
• Edge Grinder
• Driller
• Dotter
• Diamond Grinder
• Cylinder Worker
• Cylinder Grinder
• Contact Lens Technician
• Contact Lens Manufacturer
• Contact Lens Lathe Operator
• Contact Lens Cutter
• Contact Lens Blocker and Cutter
• Contact Lens Blocker
• Beveler
• Bevel Polisher
• Bench Hand
• Artificial Plastic Eye Maker
• Artificial Glass Eye Maker

Tasks for “Benchroom Shop Optician”

• Inspect, weigh, and measure mounted or unmounted lenses after completion to verify alignment and conformance to specifications, using precision instruments.
• Select lens blanks, molds, tools, and polishing or grinding wheels, according to production specifications.
• Mount and secure lens blanks or optical lenses in holding tools or chucks of cutting, polishing, grinding, or coating machines.
• Clean finished lenses and eyeglasses, using cloths and solvents.
• Shape lenses appropriately so that they can be inserted into frames.
• Assemble eyeglass frames and attach shields, nose pads, and temple pieces, using pliers, screwdrivers, and drills.
• Examine prescriptions, work orders, or broken or used eyeglasses to determine specifications for lenses, contact lenses, or other optical elements.
• Set dials and start machines to polish lenses or hold lenses against rotating wheels to polish them manually.
• Set up machines to polish, bevel, edge, or grind lenses, flats, blanks, or other precision optical elements.
• Position and adjust cutting tools to specified curvature, dimensions, and depth of cut.
• Lay out lenses and trace lens outlines on glass, using templates.
• Mount, secure, and align finished lenses in frames or optical assemblies, using precision hand tools.
• Repair broken parts, using precision hand tools and soldering irons.
• Remove lenses from molds and separate lenses in containers for further processing or storage.
• Adjust lenses and frames to correct alignment.
• Immerse eyeglass frames in solutions to harden, soften, or dye frames.
• Control equipment that coats lenses to alter their reflective qualities.
• Inspect lens blanks to detect flaws, verify smoothness of surface, and ensure thickness of coating on lenses.

Related Technology & Tools

• Retinal cameras
• Argon lasers
• Lens grinding machines
• Chipping pliers
• Diagnostic retinoscopes
• 3-way screwdrivers
• Optical slit lamps
• Stereopsis testers
• Hex nut wrenches
• Frame shaping pliers
• Neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet Nd:YAG lasers
• Side cutting pliers
• Ultrasonic cleaners
• Rimless scribe tools
• Lens cutting machines
• Rimless assembly measuring tools
• Sagitta gauges
• Cutting pliers
• Drill presses
• Optical prisms
• Finger-piece pliers
• Lens groovers
• Angling pliers
• Phillips screwdrivers
• Handheld tonometers
• Spectrophotometers
• Lens coating machines
• Pupilometers
• Bent post pliers
• Pad removing tweezers
• Keratometers
• Trial lens sets
• Phoropters
• Flathead screwdrivers
• Ball cutters
• Riveting hammers
• Zylonite files
• Lensometers
• Lab snips
• Soldering irons
• Lens polishing machines
• Nylon-brass mallets
• Snipe nose pliers
• Carbon dioxide CO2 lasers
• Wheel cutters
• Soldering clamps
• Pupillary distance rulers
• Edge polishers
• pH testers
• Screw extracting pliers
• Soldering torches
• Self-closing tweezers
• Tapered eyewire closure pliers
• Exophthalometers
• Screw grippers
• Bench polishers
• Lens sizing pliers
• Lens tinting equipment
• Optical chain nose pliers
• Nut wrenches
• Optical tweezers
• Visual field testers
• Potential acuity meters PAM
• Electric soldering kits
• Flat nose pliers
• Prescription lens aligners
• Pachymeters
• Lens thickness calipers
• Mini power drills
• Corneal topographers
• Specular microscopes
• Frame adjusting pliers
• Deblocking pliers
• Mini screwdrivers

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Outlook
• Eyeglass design software
• Electronic medical record EMR software
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft PowerPoint