Photonics Technicians
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: 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, ...
Annual Salary
Median annual wage (May 2024)
Job Outlook
Projected growth, 2024–2034 (Slower than average)
What You'd Do
- Monitor inventory levels and order supplies as necessary.
- Maintain clean working environments, according to clean room standards.
- Test or perform failure analysis for optomechanical or optoelectrical products, according to test plans.
- Assist scientists or engineers in the conduct of photonic experiments.
- Assist engineers in the development of new products, fixtures, tools, or processes.
- Set up or operate prototype or test apparatus, such as control consoles, collimators, recording equipment, or cables.
- 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.
- Adjust or maintain equipment, such as lasers, laser systems, microscopes, oscilloscopes, pulse generators, power meters, beam analyzers, or energy measurement devices.
- Compute or record photonic test data.
- Document procedures, such as calibration of optical or fiber optic equipment.
- Recommend optical or optic equipment design or material changes to reduce costs or processing times.
- Perform diagnostic analyses of processing steps, using analytical or metrological tools, such as microscopy, profilometry, or ellipsometry devices.
- Mix, pour, or use processing chemicals or gases according to safety standards or established operating procedures.
- Design, build, or modify fixtures used to assemble parts.
- Lay out cutting lines for machining, using drafting tools.
- Assemble or adjust parts or related electrical units of prototypes to prepare for testing.
- Splice fibers, using fusion splicing or other techniques.
- Terminate, cure, polish, or test fiber cables with mechanical connectors.
- Repair or calibrate products, such as surgical lasers.
- Fabricate devices, such as optoelectronic or semiconductor devices.
Top Skills
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Knowledge Areas
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Education Level Distribution
Percentage of workers in this occupation by education level
Technology & Tools
Software and tools commonly used in this role
In-Demand Technologies
Other Tools
Work Styles
Personality traits and work styles important for this career
Key Abilities
Cognitive, physical, and sensory abilities important for this role
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Activities
General types of job behaviors occurring on this job
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Environment
Physical and social factors that influence the nature of work
Related Careers
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Salary data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Outlook data: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.