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)”

• 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.
• Repair broken parts, using precision hand tools and soldering irons.
• Remove lenses from molds and separate lenses in containers for further processing or storage.
• 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.
• Clean finished lenses and eyeglasses, using cloths and solvents.
• Position and adjust cutting tools to specified curvature, dimensions, and depth of cut.
• Control equipment that coats lenses to alter their reflective qualities.
• Adjust lenses and frames to correct alignment.
• 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.
• Mount and secure lens blanks or optical lenses in holding tools or chucks of cutting, polishing, grinding, or coating machines.
• Inspect, weigh, and measure mounted or unmounted lenses after completion to verify alignment and conformance to specifications, using precision instruments.
• Immerse eyeglass frames in solutions to harden, soften, or dye frames.
• 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.
• Set dials and start machines to polish lenses or hold lenses against rotating wheels to polish them manually.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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