Also called: Optical Polisher, Lens Grinder
Grinds and polishes glass and crystal lenses and mirrors to almost perfect shapes.
You polish a mirror for a satellite telescope, checking it with a machine that shows bumps smaller than a thousandth of a hair. Then you polish again, a little at a time, until it's within spec. It takes patience and a careful touch.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 1 year after high school. High school plus on-the-job training; optics fabrication certificates exist.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Precision Optics Technology (certificate).
Growing about average. Small field with steady demand from defense and space.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. CNC and robotic polishing machines take over more lens work; one-off and ultra-precise parts still need skilled hands.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply at precision optics shops or through a staffing agency; new hires are trained on the job
Classes: Geometry, Art or sculpture, Shop class, Physics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 51-9083.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.