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| Median Wage (USD, 2024) | Projected Job Openings (2024-2034) | Projected Growth (2024-2034) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Statistics | $77390 | 5700 | 1.5% |
| State Statistics | - | - | - |
| City Statistics | - | - | - |
Experience Requirements Overview
- Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Education, Training and Experience
Required Level of Education: Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
Related Work Experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
On-Site or In-Plant Training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months
On-the-Job Training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year
Detailed Work Activities
- Maintain inventories of materials, equipment, or products.
- Purchase materials, equipment, or other resources.
- Maintain clean work areas.
- Conduct quantitative failure analyses of operational data.
- Assist engineers or scientists with research.
Work Values
Achievement
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Working Conditions
Recognition
Relationships
Support
Independence
Tasks
- 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.
- Assist scientists or engineers in the conduct of photonic experiments.
- Test or perform failure analysis for optomechanical or optoelectrical products, according to test plans.
- Assist engineers in the development of new products, fixtures, tools, or processes.
- Recommend optical or optic equipment design or material changes to reduce costs or processing times.
- Set up or operate prototype or test apparatus, such as control consoles, collimators, recording equipment, or cables.
- Monitor inventory levels and order supplies as necessary.
- Assemble fiber optical, optoelectronic, or free-space optics components, subcomponents, assemblies, or subassemblies.
- Optimize photonic process parameters by making prototype or production devices.
- Splice fibers, using fusion splicing or other techniques.
- Build prototype optomechanical devices for use in equipment such as aerial cameras, gun sights, or telescopes.
- Terminate, cure, polish, or test fiber cables with mechanical connectors.
- Perform diagnostic analyses of processing steps, using analytical or metrological tools, such as microscopy, profilometry, or ellipsometry devices.
- Assemble or adjust parts or related electrical units of prototypes to prepare for testing.
- Repair or calibrate products, such as surgical lasers.
- Design, build, or modify fixtures used to assemble parts.
- Assemble components of energy-efficient optical communications systems involving photonic switches, optical backplanes, or optoelectronic interfaces.
- Lay out cutting lines for machining, using drafting tools.
- Mix, pour, or use processing chemicals or gases according to safety standards or established operating procedures.
- Fabricate devices, such as optoelectronic or semiconductor devices.
Work Styles
Innovation
A tendency to be inventive, to be imaginative, and to adopt new perspectives on ways to accomplish work.
Innovation
Achievement Orientation
Achievement Orientation
Intellectual Curiosity
Intellectual Curiosity
Tolerance for Ambiguity
Tolerance for Ambiguity
Initiative
Initiative
Adaptability
Adaptability
Self-Confidence
Self-Confidence
Perseverance
Perseverance
Leadership Orientation
Leadership Orientation
Humility
Humility
Sincerity
Sincerity
Empathy
Empathy
Cooperation
Cooperation
Optimism
Optimism
Social Orientation
Social Orientation
Cautiousness
Cautiousness
Attention to Detail
Attention to Detail
Dependability
Dependability
Integrity
Integrity
Stress Tolerance
Stress Tolerance
Self-Control
Self-Control
Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 30.0 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. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.