Will “Prescription Eyeglass Maker” 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
• 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 “Prescription Eyeglass Maker”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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