Will “Test 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
• 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 “Test Technician”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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