Production
Ophthalmic laboratory technician
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.
Median pay
$39,460
Growth to 2035
+2%
about as fast as average
Openings a year
2,200
Time to qualify*
6 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Ophthalmic laboratory technician
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Hazardous conditions
Exposure to disease
Ophthalmic laboratory technician: 14% usually work over 40 hours a week
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.
- 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.
Also called: Edger Technician · Finishing Lab Technician · Lab Technician (Laboratory Technician) · Lens Grinder and Polisher · Line Operator · Optical Lab Technician (Optical Laboratory Technician) · Optical Technician · Polisher
Outlook and AI
Ophthalmic laboratory technicians held 18,600 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 19,000 by 2035 (+2%, about as fast as average; all jobs: +3.5%).
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