Will “Optical Coating Technician” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

97% Chance of Automation

“Optical Coating Technician” will almost certainly be replaced by robots.

This job is ranked #656 out of #702. A higher ranking (i.e., a lower number) means the job is less likely to be replaced.

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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…

Tasks for “Optical Coating Technician”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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