Career Overview
Build, install, test, or maintain optical or fiber optic equipment, such as lasers, lenses, or mirrors, using spectrometers, interferometers, or related equipment.
Also Known As
- Fiber Optics Instructor
- Laser Technician (Laser Tech)
- Optics Technician (Optics Tech)
- Photonics Technician (Photonics Tech)
Alternate Job Titles
- Certified Laser Technician (Certified Laser Tech)
- Electro-Optics Technician (Electro-Optics Tech)
- Fiber Optics Assembler
- Fiber Optics Cabling Specialist
- Fiber Optics Design Technician (Fiber Optics Design Tech)
- Fiber Optics Instructor
- Fiber Optics Specialist
- Fiber Optics Splicer
- Fiber Optics Technician (Fiber Optics Tech)
- Fiber Splicer
- Fiber Technician (Fiber Tech)
- Healthcare Laser Technician (Healthcare Laser Tech)
- Installation Technician (Installation Tech)
- Laser Assembly Technician (Laser Assembly Tech)
- Laser Operator
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Compute or record photonic test data.
- Maintain clean working environments, according to clean room standards.
- Adjust or maintain equipment, such as lasers, laser systems, microscopes, oscilloscopes, pulse generators, power meters, beam analyzers, or energy measurement devices.
- Document procedures, such as calibration of optical or fiber optic equipment.
- Set up or operate assembly or processing equipment, such as lasers, cameras, die bonders, wire bonders, dispensers, reflow ovens, soldering irons, die shears, wire pull testers, temperature or humidity chambers, or optical spectrum analyzers.
- Assist scientists or engineers in the conduct of photonic experiments.
- Test or perform failure analysis for optomechanical or optoelectrical products, according to test plans.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Engineering and Technology
- Computers and Electronics
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Near Vision
- Oral Comprehension
- Problem Sensitivity
- Written Comprehension
- Finger Dexterity
- Information Ordering
- Deductive Reasoning
- Written Expression
- Oral Expression
- Perceptual Speed
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Integrity
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Achievement
- Support
- Working Conditions
- Recognition
- Relationships
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
Related Work Experience Needed: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
On-the-Job Training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year
Education Details: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Experience Required: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Dassault Systemes SolidWorks
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
- SAP software
- The MathWorks MATLAB
Tools & Equipment
- Abrasive grinding machines
- Analog oscilloscopes
- Atomic force microscopes AFM
- Autocollimators
- Bench refractometers
- Binocular light compound microscopes
- Biosafety cabinets
- Bit error rate testers BERT
- Calipers
- Chemical protective face shields
- Chemical vapor deposition CVD systems
- Collimators
- Common path interferometers
- Computerized numerical control CNC band saws
- Computerized numerical control CNC drill presses
Work Environment
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
Salary & Job Market
Wages reported for the broader Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other occupational group (BLS 2024), which includes Photonics Technicians.
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $47,010 |
| Median | $77,390 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $114,630 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 64,410
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Photonics Engineers
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $117,750
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Education: Not specified
Median Salary: $77,180
Calibration Technologists and Technicians
Education: Not specified
Median Salary: $65,040
Robotics Technicians
Education: Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
Median Salary: $70,760
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $68,730
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.