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)”

• 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.
• Select lens blanks, molds, tools, and polishing or grinding wheels, according to production specifications.
• Clean finished lenses and eyeglasses, using cloths and solvents.
• Repair broken parts, using precision hand tools and soldering irons.
• Remove lenses from molds and separate lenses in containers for further processing or storage.
• Adjust lenses and frames to correct alignment.
• 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.
• Examine prescriptions, work orders, or broken or used eyeglasses to determine specifications for lenses, contact lenses, or other optical elements.
• Assemble eyeglass frames and attach shields, nose pads, and temple pieces, using pliers, screwdrivers, and drills.
• 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.
• Set dials and start machines to polish lenses or hold lenses against rotating wheels to polish them manually.
• 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.
• 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.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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