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)”

• Inspect lens blanks to detect flaws, verify smoothness of surface, and ensure thickness of coating on lenses.
• Repair broken parts, using precision hand tools and soldering irons.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Lay out lenses and trace lens outlines on glass, using templates.
• Position and adjust cutting tools to specified curvature, dimensions, and depth of cut.
• Remove lenses from molds and separate lenses in containers for further processing or storage.
• Shape lenses appropriately so that they can be inserted into frames.
• Mount, secure, and align finished lenses in frames or optical assemblies, using precision hand tools.
• Clean finished lenses and eyeglasses, using cloths and solvents.
• Control equipment that coats lenses to alter their reflective qualities.
• Mount and secure lens blanks or optical lenses in holding tools or chucks of cutting, polishing, grinding, or coating machines.
• Inspect, weigh, and measure mounted or unmounted lenses after completion to verify alignment and conformance to specifications, using precision instruments.
• Immerse eyeglass frames in solutions to harden, soften, or dye frames.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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