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

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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