Will “Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians” 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

Also Known As…

• 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
• 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
• 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 “Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians”

• Control equipment that coats lenses to alter their reflective qualities.
• Repair broken parts, using precision hand tools and soldering irons.
• Position and adjust cutting tools to specified curvature, dimensions, and depth of cut.
• Immerse eyeglass frames in solutions to harden, soften, or dye frames.
• 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.
• Lay out lenses and trace lens outlines on glass, using templates.
• Adjust lenses and frames to correct alignment.
• 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.
• Mount and secure lens blanks or optical lenses in holding tools or chucks of cutting, polishing, grinding, or coating machines.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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