Will “Eyeglass Maker” 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 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
• Benchroom Shop Optician
• Bench Hand
• Artificial Plastic Eye Maker
• Artificial Glass Eye Maker

Tasks for “Eyeglass Maker”

• Mount and secure lens blanks or optical lenses in holding tools or chucks of cutting, polishing, grinding, or coating machines.
• Set up machines to polish, bevel, edge, or grind lenses, flats, blanks, or other precision optical elements.
• Inspect lens blanks to detect flaws, verify smoothness of surface, and ensure thickness of coating on lenses.
• 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.
• Repair broken parts, using precision hand tools and soldering irons.
• Mount, secure, and align finished lenses in frames or optical assemblies, using precision hand tools.
• Control equipment that coats lenses to alter their reflective qualities.
• 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.
• Immerse eyeglass frames in solutions to harden, soften, or dye frames.
• Lay out lenses and trace lens outlines on glass, using templates.
• Clean finished lenses and eyeglasses, using cloths and solvents.
• Shape lenses appropriately so that they can be inserted into frames.
• Adjust lenses and frames to correct alignment.
• Position and adjust cutting tools to specified curvature, dimensions, and depth of cut.
• Select lens blanks, molds, tools, and polishing or grinding wheels, according to production specifications.
• Set dials and start machines to polish lenses or hold lenses against rotating wheels to polish them manually.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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