Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians: Career Profile
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.
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What Do Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians Do?
The core tasks performed by ophthalmic laboratory technicians cover:
- Mount and secure lens blanks or optical lenses in holding tools or chucks of cutting, polishing, grinding, or coating machines.
- Inspect lens blanks to detect flaws, verify smoothness of surface, and ensure thickness of coating on lenses.
- Set up machines to polish, bevel, edge, or grind lenses, flats, blanks, or other precision optical elements.
- 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.
- Clean finished lenses and eyeglasses, using cloths and solvents.
- Mount, secure, and align finished lenses in frames or optical assemblies, using precision hand tools.
- Examine prescriptions, work orders, or broken or used eyeglasses to determine specifications for lenses, contact lenses, or other optical elements.
Skills and Knowledge
Successful ophthalmic laboratory technicians draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Other Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Artificial Glass Eye Maker
- Artificial Plastic Eye Maker
- Bench Hand
- Benchroom Shop Optician
- Bevel Polisher
- Beveler
- Contact Lens Blocker
- Contact Lens Blocker and Cutter
How Many Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians Are There?
There are about 764,007 ophthalmic laboratory technicians working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to decline by -3.7% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $37,805 |
| Hourly median | $18.18 |
| 10th percentile | $20,867 |
| 25th percentile | $29,336 |
| 75th percentile | $46,274 |
| 90th percentile | $54,743 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Connecticut | $60,700 |
| Idaho | $50,880 |
| California | $49,430 |
| Washington | $47,860 |
| Michigan | $47,280 |
| Colorado | $46,320 |
| Maryland | $45,620 |
| Oregon | $45,580 |
| New Hampshire | $44,450 |
| Wisconsin | $44,370 |
| Georgia | $44,000 |
| Arizona | $43,090 |
| Massachusetts | $42,770 |
| Ohio | $42,760 |
| Nebraska | $40,670 |
| Minnesota | $40,500 |
| Nevada | $38,690 |
| Montana | $38,690 |
| South Carolina | $38,570 |
| Indiana | $38,280 |
| Arkansas | $38,090 |
| Virginia | $38,080 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,940 |
| Missouri | $37,480 |
| Texas | $37,350 |
| New Mexico | $37,180 |
| Illinois | $37,170 |
| New York | $37,030 |
| Tennessee | $36,610 |
| Florida | $36,450 |
| Louisiana | $36,360 |
| North Carolina | $36,120 |
| Oklahoma | $35,940 |
| Kentucky | $35,500 |
| Alabama | $34,820 |
| Kansas | $34,700 |
| New Jersey | $34,680 |
| Iowa | $33,770 |
| Mississippi | $28,930 |
| Puerto Rico | $23,630 |
Where Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians Earn the Most
Earnings for ophthalmic laboratory technicians shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| New England | $54,008 | 1.8% | 1.25 |
| Far Western US | $47,561 | 11.7% | 0.79 |
| Rocky Mountains | $45,765 | 2.5% | 0.93 |
| Great Lakes | $40,837 | 8.9% | 0.72 |
| Plains States | $39,002 | 8.1% | 2.22 |
| Middle Atlantic | $38,504 | 11.5% | 1.07 |
| Southeast | $37,846 | 27.6% | 1.35 |
| Southwest | $37,627 | 21.8% | 2.00 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $64,750 | 160 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $55,990 | 720 |
| Boise City, ID | ID | $50,880 | 50 |
| Madison, WI | WI | $49,660 | 50 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $49,180 | 220 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | RI | $48,340 | |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | MI | $47,280 | 180 |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | OR | $47,280 | 30 |
Top Industries Employing Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians
The bulk of ophthalmic laboratory technicians work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 7,780 | $40,800 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 4,750 | $38,370 |
| Retail Trade | 3,940 | $35,970 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1,800 | $37,770 |
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians work in the following industries:
Tech Stack
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
Work Environment
Daily working conditions for ophthalmic laboratory technicians is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Time Pressure
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How to Become Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians
Most ophthalmic laboratory technicians positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Photonics Technicians (Supplemental)
- Opticians, Dispensing (Supplemental)
- Camera and Photographic Equipment Repairers (Primary-Short)
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers (Supplemental)
- Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers (Supplemental)
- Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters (Primary-Short)
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Short)
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
Degree Programs
Future ophthalmic laboratory technicians often complete programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 51-9083.00 (Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians).
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