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”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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