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)”

• Immerse eyeglass frames in solutions to harden, soften, or dye frames.
• Control equipment that coats lenses to alter their reflective qualities.
• Inspect, weigh, and measure mounted or unmounted lenses after completion to verify alignment and conformance to specifications, using precision instruments.
• Shape lenses appropriately so that they can be inserted into frames.
• Set dials and start machines to polish lenses or hold lenses against rotating wheels to polish them manually.
• Remove lenses from molds and separate lenses in containers for further processing or storage.
• 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.
• Adjust lenses and frames to correct alignment.
• 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.
• Set up machines to polish, bevel, edge, or grind lenses, flats, blanks, or other precision optical elements.
• Select lens blanks, molds, tools, and polishing or grinding wheels, according to production specifications.
• 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.
• Mount, secure, and align finished lenses in frames or optical assemblies, using precision hand tools.
• Clean finished lenses and eyeglasses, using cloths and solvents.
• Lay out lenses and trace lens outlines on glass, using templates.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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