Will “Surface Room Shop Optician” 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 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 “Surface Room Shop Optician”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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