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.
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. The role reports a median annual salary of $38,420 in the US and is showing modest growth of 2% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a High school diploma or equivalent, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.48 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include production processes, characteristics of products, optical glass characteristics, types of optical instruments, manufacturer's recommended price.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £29,340 a year for Other skilled trades n.e.c. (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 5449). ONS rates this estimate acceptable: it rests on a small sample, so treat it as a rough guide. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Craft and related trades workers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Ophthalmic laboratory technicians, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 7. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- Mathematics
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administration and Management
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Education and Training
What you'd actually do
- 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.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Ophthalmic laboratory technicians do?
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.
How much does Ophthalmic laboratory technicians earn?
The median annual salary for Ophthalmic laboratory technicians in the US is $38,420.
What is the job outlook for Ophthalmic laboratory technicians?
The role is showing modest growth of 2% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 19,600 workers.
How do I become ophthalmic laboratory technicians?
The typical entry education is a High school diploma or equivalent. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Ophthalmic laboratory technicians need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include production processes, characteristics of products, optical glass characteristics, types of optical instruments, manufacturer's recommended price, product comprehension. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Ophthalmic laboratory technicians?
Our AI-durability model gives Ophthalmic laboratory technicians a score of 0.48 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Ophthalmic laboratory technicians has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.