Will “Lab Technician (Laboratory 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)
• Hospital Laboratory Technician (Hospital Lab Technician)
• 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 “Lab Technician (Laboratory Technician)”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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