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)”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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