Will “Optical Lab Technician (Optical 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 “Optical Lab Technician (Optical Laboratory Technician)”

• 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.
• Set dials and start machines to polish lenses or hold lenses against rotating wheels to polish them manually.
• 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.
• Position and adjust cutting tools to specified curvature, dimensions, and depth of cut.
• 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.
• Examine prescriptions, work orders, or broken or used eyeglasses to determine specifications for lenses, contact lenses, or other optical elements.
• Mount, secure, and align finished lenses in frames or optical assemblies, using precision hand tools.
• Remove lenses from molds and separate lenses in containers for further processing or storage.
• Immerse eyeglass frames in solutions to harden, soften, or dye frames.
• Adjust lenses and frames to correct alignment.
• Inspect lens blanks to detect flaws, verify smoothness of surface, and ensure thickness of coating on lenses.
• Control equipment that coats lenses to alter their reflective qualities.
• Shape lenses appropriately so that they can be inserted into frames.
• Lay out lenses and trace lens outlines on glass, using templates.
• Assemble eyeglass frames and attach shields, nose pads, and temple pieces, using pliers, screwdrivers, and drills.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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