What do they do?
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 Technician, Laser Technician (Laser Tech), Optomechanical Technician, Photonic Laboratory Technician (Photonic Lab Tech), Photonics Technician, Ruling Technician
No Data Available
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1.1%
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Ranks #45 in job growth rate170Job Openings
Ranks #16 in net job growth
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| College Name | Scaled Score | College Raptor Ranking | Students | % of School | Median Starting Salary | Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | 100 | 109 | 80 | 5.1 % | $60,080 | |
 Pennsylvania College of Technology | 86 | 690 | 57 | 10.2 % | $59,423 | |
 Oregon Institute of Technology | 84 | 867 | 59 | 8.2 % | $55,530 | |
 Farmingdale State College | 79 | 562 | 70 | 4.0 % | $58,198 | |
 CUNY New York City College of Technology | 76 | 1432 | 107 | 7.6 % | $59,423 | |
 University of Southern Mississippi | 73 | 905 | 99 | 3.8 % | $56,429 | |
 Purdue University-Main Campus | 71 | 156 | 104 | 1.2 % | $60,486 | |
 SUNY College of Technology at Alfred | 64 | 1014 | 32 | 7.3 % | $59,423 | |
 University of Houston | 60 | 383 | 65 | .8 % | $54,556 | |
 Ferris State University | 56 | 793 | 48 | 2.5 % | $58,501 |
Results 1-10 of 52
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| College Name | Scaled Score | College Raptor Ranking | Students | % of School | Median Starting Salary | Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | 100 | 109 | 80 | 5.1 % | $60,080 | |
| Purdue University-Main Campus | 95 | 156 | 104 | 1.2 % | $60,486 | |
| Pennsylvania College of Technology | 90 | 690 | 57 | 10.2 % | $59,423 | |
| Farmingdale State College | 85 | 562 | 70 | 4.0 % | $58,198 | |
| University of Southern Mississippi | 83 | 905 | 99 | 3.8 % | $56,429 | |
| University of Houston | 83 | 383 | 65 | .8 % | $54,556 | |
| Oregon Institute of Technology | 83 | 867 | 59 | 8.2 % | $55,530 | |
| CUNY New York City College of Technology | 81 | 1432 | 107 | 7.6 % | $59,423 | |
 Indiana University Indianapolis | 73 | 742 | 57 | 1.3 % | $58,429 | |
| Ferris State University | 66 | 793 | 48 | 2.5 % | $58,501 |
Results 1-10 of 64
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- Some college, no degree (30%)
- High school diploma equivalent (24%)
- Associate's degree (20%)
- Bachelor's degree (18%)
- Less than high school diploma (4%)
- Master's degree (3%)
- Doctorate or Professional Degree (1%)
Most Popular Majors that prepare Photonics Technicians
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#1
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Degrees Granted
529
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Female Students
67
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Male Students
462
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Median Starting Salary
$56,989
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#2
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Degrees Granted
182
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Female Students
14
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Male Students
168
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Median Starting Salary
$56,989
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#3
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Degrees Granted
114
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Female Students
16
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Male Students
98
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Median Starting Salary
$56,989
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#4
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Degrees Granted
72
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Female Students
13
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Male Students
59
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Median Starting Salary
$56,989
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#5
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Degrees Granted
66
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Female Students
7
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Male Students
59
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Median Starting Salary
$56,989
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People in this career often have these skills:
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Operations Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Quality Control Analysis - Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
People in this career often know a lot about:
- Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
- Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
- Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
People in this career often have talent in:
- Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
- Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
- Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
People in this career often do these activities:
- Maintain clean work areas.
- Analyze test or validation data.
- Document design or operational test results.
- Calibrate scientific or technical equipment.
- Maintain electronic equipment.
- Assemble precision electronics or optical equipment.
- Prepare procedural documents.
- Analyze operational data to evaluate operations, processes or products.
- Design electronic or computer equipment or instrumentation.
- Develop technical methods or processes.
- Prepare materials for processing.
- Assist engineers or scientists with research.
- Operate industrial equipment.
- Monitor the productivity or efficiency of industrial operations.
- Test performance of electrical, electronic, mechanical, or integrated systems or equipment.
- Assemble equipment or components.
- Conduct quantitative failure analyses of operational data.
- Install instrumentation or electronic equipment or systems.
- Recommend technical design or process changes to improve efficiency, quality, or performance.
- Create physical models or prototypes.
- Maintain inventories of materials, equipment, or products.
- Purchase materials, equipment, or other resources.
- Create schematic drawings for electronics.
- Fabricate devices or components.
- Design alternative energy systems.
This page includes data from:
Career data: O*NET 28.3 Database
by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (“USDOL/ETA”). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA
Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics
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