Photonics Technicians
What they do
Build, install, test, or maintain optical or fiber optic equipment, such as lasers, lenses, or mirrors, using spectrometers, interferometers, or related equipment.
Expected pay range
Expected pay range
This represents the median earnings for this career in the selected county or state. In the range shown, 25% of workers earned less than the bottom salary and 25% earned more than the top salary. Data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
About photonics technicians
Other titles
Fiber Optics Technician, Laser Technician, Optomechanical Technician, Photonic Laboratory Technician (Photonic Lab Tech), Photonics Technician, Ruling Technician
Tasks they perform
- Maintain clean working environments, according to clean room standards.
- Compute or record photonic test data.
- Adjust or maintain equipment, such as lasers, laser systems, microscopes, oscilloscopes, pulse generators, power meters, beam analyzers, or energy measurement devices.
Skills they need
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- 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.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Operations Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Quality Control Analysis - Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Equipment Maintenance - Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Troubleshooting - Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Licenses and Certifications
How to decide which one is right? That depends on an individual’s career path, specialty, and resources.
Certifications
Certifications may be available for this career and can help build knowledge and skills in specific job roles. Explore available certifications (external link opens new tab)
Similar careers
View careers in the same field as photonics technicians.
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Better pay
Median salary for this career is higher than the median salary of all careers in the county selected. Salary data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Better pay
Median salary for this career is higher than the median salary of all careers in the county selected. Salary data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
In demand
In demand careers have high-growth, high-demand, and emerging jobs critical to Texas. They are based on economic indicators like in demand industries, labor market trends, and economic conditions, provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
Additional career information and resources
Learn more about photonics technicians with these helpful sites.
- ETA International (external link opens new tab)
- Florida Photonics Cluster (external link opens new tab)
- Optics and Photonics Education Directory (external link opens new tab)
- SAE International (external link opens new tab)
- SPIE (external link opens new tab)
- The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (external link opens new tab)
- The Optical Society (external link opens new tab)