Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians
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.
- O*NET-SOC code
51-9083.00 - Preparation Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$39,460
Employment, U.S.18,660
Median hourly wage$18.97
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $33,530 | $36,470 | $39,460 | $47,010 | $57,380 |
By state (41)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 190 | $37,010 | 0.75 |
| Arizona | 150 | $38,620 | 0.39 |
| Arkansas | 170 | $37,060 | 1.08 |
| California | 1,630 | $47,410 | 0.75 |
| Colorado | 320 | $48,540 | 0.92 |
| Connecticut | 170 | $62,410 | 0.83 |
| Florida | 1,230 | $38,020 | 1.03 |
| Georgia | 960 | $45,050 | 1.64 |
| Idaho | 40 | Not available | 0.43 |
| Illinois | 830 | $36,840 | 1.13 |
| Indiana | 330 | $37,360 | 0.85 |
| Iowa | 100 | $33,910 | 0.51 |
| Kansas | $44,920 | ||
| Kentucky | 610 | $36,650 | 2.53 |
| Louisiana | 300 | $37,160 | 1.28 |
| Maine | 50 | $43,520 | 0.64 |
| Maryland | 360 | $47,100 | 1.08 |
| Massachusetts | $43,100 | ||
| Michigan | 330 | $45,490 | 0.63 |
| Minnesota | 1,110 | $40,280 | 3.13 |
| Mississippi | 220 | $35,230 | 1.59 |
| Missouri | 360 | $38,740 | 1.03 |
| Nebraska | 170 | $40,640 | 1.37 |
| Nevada | 240 | $38,990 | 1.31 |
| New Hampshire | 180 | $59,460 | 2.19 |
| New Jersey | $47,420 | ||
| New Mexico | 130 | $38,590 | 1.26 |
| New York | 1,250 | $42,450 | 1.08 |
| North Carolina | 210 | $44,140 | 0.35 |
| Ohio | 560 | $46,320 | 0.84 |
| Oklahoma | 210 | $35,620 | 1.03 |
| Oregon | 250 | $45,780 | 1.06 |
| Pennsylvania | 510 | $37,680 | 0.70 |
| Rhode Island | 70 | $47,440 | 1.13 |
| South Carolina | 130 | $34,140 | 0.47 |
| Tennessee | 130 | $37,370 | 0.34 |
| Texas | 3,380 | $37,920 | 2.00 |
| Virginia | 470 | $34,170 | 0.96 |
| Washington | 260 | $49,230 | 0.61 |
| West Virginia | $37,140 | ||
| Wisconsin | 200 | $42,920 | 0.56 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Etchers and Engravers | 1-2 | 0.967 |
| 2 | Printing Press Operators | 1-2 | 0.958 |
| 3 | Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 1-2 | 0.958 |
| 4 | Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 1-2 | 0.958 |
| 5 | Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers | 1-2 | 0.953 |
| 6 | Print Binding and Finishing Workers | 1-2 | 0.953 |
| 7 | Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 1-2 | 0.952 |
| 8 | Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | 1-2 | 0.951 |
| 9 | Machinists | 3 | 0.951 |
| 10 | Electromechanical Equipment Assemblers | 1-2 | 0.950 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers | Operations Monitoring | 1.00 | 0.953 |
| Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | Operations Monitoring | 1.00 | 0.952 |
| Electromechanical Equipment Assemblers | Troubleshooting | 1.00 | 0.950 |
| Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand | Equipment Maintenance | 0.88 | 0.947 |
| Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders | Operations Monitoring | 0.87 | 0.940 |
| Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | Operations Monitoring | 1.00 | 0.939 |
| Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers | Equipment Maintenance | 1.00 | 0.936 |
| Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | Operations Monitoring | 0.87 | 0.934 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians, excluding software Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Mastercam computer-aided design and manufacturing software | 5 of 20 | 25.6x |
| EditCNC | 3 of 20 | 46.2x |
| G-code | 3 of 20 | 19.8x |
| Autodesk AutoCAD | 8 of 20 | 2.2x |
| Dassault Systemes SolidWorks | 4 of 20 | 3.2x |
| PTC Creo Parametric | 3 of 20 | 3.2x |
| Dassault Systemes CATIA | 3 of 20 | 2.3x |
| Adobe Illustrator | 3 of 20 | 1.4x |
| Adobe Acrobat | 3 of 20 | 0.8x |
| Email software | 4 of 20 | 0.7x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.38 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 2.88 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 2.75 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.62 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 2.88 | 2.62 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.50 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.00 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.12 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.12 | 2.25 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.62 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.62 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.00 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 0.75 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 0.75 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 1.25 |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Production and Processing | 3.86 | 4.09 |
| Mechanical | 3.35 | 3.45 |
| Mathematics | 3.34 | 3.69 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.11 | 2.82 |
| Administration and Management | 3.00 | 2.09 |
| English Language | 2.96 | 2.40 |
| Computers and Electronics | 2.79 | 3.46 |
| Education and Training | 2.72 | 2.48 |
| Engineering and Technology | 2.71 | 2.47 |
| Administrative | 2.29 | 2.16 |
| Sales and Marketing | 2.19 | 1.52 |
| Public Safety and Security | 2.15 | 1.47 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 2.15 | 1.39 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.11 | 1.25 |
| Design | 2.04 | 1.54 |
| Telecommunications | 2.01 | 1.00 |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.77 | 1.16 |
| Law and Government | 1.75 | 1.03 |
| Transportation | 1.74 | 0.82 |
| Physics | 1.73 | 0.96 |
| Chemistry | 1.69 | 1.18 |
| Psychology | 1.68 | 0.97 |
| Building and Construction | 1.68 | 0.77 |
| Communications and Media | 1.64 | 0.94 |
| Foreign Language | 1.64 | 0.61 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.55 | not rated |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.55 | not rated |
| Biology | 1.49 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.41 | not rated |
| Geography | 1.25 | not rated |
| History and Archeology | 1.20 | not rated |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.15 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.12 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Near Vision | 3.75 | 4.38 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.62 | 4.12 |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.62 | 3.75 |
| Control Precision | 3.50 | 4.25 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.50 | 3.38 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.38 | 3.00 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Selective Attention | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Visualization | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Information Ordering | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Reaction Time | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Rate Control | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Oral Comprehension | 2.88 | 3.62 |
| Oral Expression | 2.88 | 3.25 |
| Far Vision | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Depth Perception | 2.88 | 2.62 |
| Speech Clarity | 2.88 | 2.62 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 2.88 | 2.50 |
| Written Expression | 2.88 | 2.25 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.38 | 2.50 |
| Trunk Strength | 2.38 | 2.12 |
| Time Sharing | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Number Facility | 2.12 | 2.25 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Originality | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Stamina | 2.12 | 1.50 |
| Extent Flexibility | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Memorization | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Static Strength | 2.00 | 1.12 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.75 | 1.50 |
| Response Orientation | 1.75 | 1.38 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 1.75 | 1.25 |
| Explosive Strength | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Dynamic Strength | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 1.25 | not rated |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.00 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Sound Localization | 1.00 | not rated |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft PowerPoint hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- SAP software hot
- Electronic medical record EMR software
- Eyeglass design software
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Cloud, MN | 520 | 41.64 | $39,370 |
| Rochester, NY | 490 | 8.34 | $45,420 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,940 | 3.99 | $38,280 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 440 | 3.26 | $37,920 |
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | 240 | 2.86 | $31,670 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 570 | 2.42 | $41,780 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 830 | 2.40 | $45,870 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 370 | 2.14 | $37,340 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 340 | 2.13 | $38,740 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 190 | 2.09 | $48,410 |