Will “Finishing Lab 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
• 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
• Finishing Lab Technician
• 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 “Finishing Lab 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.
• Control equipment that coats lenses to alter their reflective qualities.
• Shape lenses appropriately so that they can be inserted into frames.
• Select lens blanks, molds, tools, and polishing or grinding wheels, according to production specifications.
• 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.
• Inspect lens blanks to detect flaws, verify smoothness of surface, and ensure thickness of coating on lenses.
• 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.
• Position and adjust cutting tools to specified curvature, dimensions, and depth of cut.
• 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.
• Inspect, weigh, and measure mounted or unmounted lenses after completion to verify alignment and conformance to specifications, using precision instruments.
• Lay out lenses and trace lens outlines on glass, using templates.
• Immerse eyeglass frames in solutions to harden, soften, or dye frames.
• Assemble eyeglass frames and attach shields, nose pads, and temple pieces, using pliers, screwdrivers, and drills.
• Set up machines to polish, bevel, edge, or grind lenses, flats, blanks, or other precision optical elements.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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