Will “Hospital Laboratory Technician (Hospital Lab Technician)” 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)
• 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
• Benchroom Shop Optician
• Bench Hand
• Artificial Plastic Eye Maker
• Artificial Glass Eye Maker

Tasks for “Hospital Laboratory Technician (Hospital Lab Technician)”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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