Will “Contact Lens Technician” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

97% Chance of Automation

“Contact Lens Technician” will almost certainly be replaced by robots.

This job is ranked #656 out of #702. A higher ranking (i.e., a lower number) means the job is less likely to be replaced.

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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…

Tasks for “Contact Lens Technician”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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