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Program Codes
35068
Employment Percentage
4.733727811
SOC ID
51-9083
SOC Title
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians
ONET ID
51-9083.00
ONET Concat ID
51908300
Median Salary
36902.57
EMSI Interest Area Term
Life Sciences and Technologies
Ed Level High School
61.23
Ed Level Certificate
8.82
Ed Level Some College
14.58
Ed Level Associates
6.54
Ed Level Bachelors
3.73
Ed Level Masters
5.09
Ed Level Doctors
0
Typical Ed Level
a high school diploma or less
Career 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.
Core Tasks
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Adjust lenses and frames to correct alignment.
  • Select lens blanks, molds, tools, and polishing or grinding wheels, according to production specifications.
  • Position and adjust cutting tools to specified curvature, dimensions, and depth of cut.
  • Assemble eyeglass frames and attach shields, nose pads, and temple pieces, using pliers, screwdrivers, and drills.
  • Set dials and start machines to polish lenses or hold lenses against rotating wheels to polish them manually.
  • Repair broken parts, using precision hand tools and soldering irons.
Start Annual Earnings
26950.71
Top Annual Earnings
60329.88
EMSI Career Title Slug
ophthalmic-laboratory-technician