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Engineering

Photonics Technicians

Build, install, test, or maintain optical or fiber optic equipment, such as lasers, lenses, or mirrors, using spectrometers, interferometers, or related equipment.

Median salary

$77,390

Typical range

$47k – $115k

Job outlook

+2% (about average)

AI exposure

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Education

Typical entry: Associate degree

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Typical progression

  1. Junior Photonics Technicians

    Entry / Junior

    $47,010

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Photonics Technicians

    Established

    $77,390

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Photonics Technicians

    Senior

    $96,010

Key skills

A typical day

  • 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.

Fields of study

Any field

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