Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians
Official O*NET title: Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians (51-9083.00)
Also called: edger technician, finishing lab technician, lab technician, lens grinder and polisher, line operator
Do you do this at work?
Answer each card — it takes about a minute.
Do you do this at work?
Inspect, weigh, and measure mounted or unmounted lenses after completion to verify alignment and conformance to specifications, using precision instruments
Swipe right for yes, left for not me. On a keyboard: → yes, ← not me, Z undo. +2 XP per answer.
How AI is changing ophthalmic laboratory technicians work
1 of 14 measurable main tasks for this job show up in real AI-use data, so we rate it Green (little AI use yet) — 7%.
This shows where people already use AI, not whether the job will disappear. How we measure this.
Tasks in this job and recorded AI use
- Inspect, weigh, and measure mounted or unmounted lenses after completion to verify alignment and conformance to specifications, using precision instruments (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Mount and secure lens blanks or optical lenses in holding tools or chucks of cutting, polishing, grinding, or coating machines (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Inspect lens blanks to detect flaws, verify smoothness of surface, and make sure thickness of coating on lenses (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Set up machines to polish, bevel, edge, or grind lenses, flats, blanks, or other precision optical elements (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Shape lenses appropriately so that they can be inserted into frames (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Clean finished lenses and eyeglasses, using cloths and solvents (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Mount, secure, and align finished lenses in frames or optical assemblies, using precision hand tools (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Examine prescriptions, work orders, or broken or used eyeglasses to determine specifications for lenses, contact lenses, or other optical elements (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Adjust lenses and frames to correct alignment (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Select lens blanks, molds, tools, and polishing or grinding wheels, according to production specifications (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Position and adjust cutting tools to specified curvature, dimensions, and depth of cut (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Assemble eyeglass frames and attach shields, nose pads, and temple pieces, using pliers, screwdrivers, and drills (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Set dials and start machines to polish lenses or hold lenses against rotating wheels to polish them manually (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Repair broken parts, using precision hand tools and soldering irons (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Immerse eyeglass frames in solutions to harden, soften, or dye frames — no recorded AI use
- Lay out lenses and trace lens outlines on glass, using templates — no recorded AI use
- Control equipment that coats lenses to alter their reflective qualities — no recorded AI use
- Remove lenses from molds and separate lenses in containers for further processing or storage — no recorded AI use
Tasks: O*NET 31.0. AI use: Anthropic Economic Index (exact or close text match).
Your first steps (guidance)
- Week 1: Open a free AI assistant and say hello. Follow our “Getting started with AI” guide. Ask it one simple question about your work.
- Week 2: Use AI on one task you do often. Try the prompt for: “Inspect, weigh, and measure mounted or unmounted lenses after completion to verify alignment and conformance to specifications, using precision instruments”.
Tick your own tasks above to get a plan based on what you really do. The first 2 weeks are free; Premium (coming soon) adds weeks 3–12. New to AI? Read our beginner’s guide.
Questions about AI and ophthalmic laboratory technicians
Will AI replace ophthalmic laboratory technicians?
Our data can’t predict job losses, and we don’t try to. What it does show: 1 of the 14 main tasks for this job match tasks people already use AI for (Anthropic Economic Index), giving a Green rating (little AI use yet). Using AI on a task is not the same as AI doing the whole job, and 17 of the 18 listed tasks show no recorded AI use yet.
Which ophthalmic laboratory technician tasks is AI used for most?
In the data, the most AI use among this job’s tasks is for: inspect, weigh, and measure mounted or unmounted lenses after completion to verify alignment and conformance to specifications, using precision instruments.
Which ophthalmic laboratory technician tasks show little or no AI use?
For example: 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 make sure thickness of coating on lenses; set up machines to polish, bevel, edge, or grind lenses, flats, blanks, or other precision optical elements. These are good places to keep building your own skills.
How does this job compare to others?
In Microsoft Research’s “Working with AI” study, this job’s AI applicability score is equal to or higher than 17% of the occupations they scored. That measures overlap with AI chat use, not risk of job loss.
How can a ophthalmic laboratory technician start learning AI?
Start small: open a free AI assistant, try it on one task you do often, and always check facts and numbers yourself. The plan on this page is guidance, not professional advice.
See how this job ranks
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians ranks #522 of 572 jobs for the share of main tasks with AI use (#1 = most), and #26 of 35 in Production & Plant.
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