Architecture and 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.

MAY 2025 · OCCUPATIONAL WAGES

A wage reference for United States.

Published wage percentiles describe a distribution within the source occupation group. They provide context for a career decision; employer packages and job offers have their own terms.

Source wage group: Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other

This wage group may include multiple detailed occupations. The figures are for the source group, which may be broader than Photonics Technicians. They are not an exact-title, employer, experience or seniority match.

May 2025 · USD · United States. Annual and hourly figures are shown only when the source publishes them; neither is calculated from the other.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage data, distributed through the O*NET® OnLine service.

Median annual wage$78,350USD per year · Published 50th percentile
Median hourly wage$37.67USD per hour · Published 50th percentile

Annual wage thresholds

USD per year

Hourly wage thresholds

USD per hour

Published occupational wage percentiles · United States · May 2025
PercentileAnnual wage (USD/year)Hourly wage (USD/hour)
10th$47,030$22.61
25th$60,390$29.03
50th · Median$78,350$37.67
75th$99,310$47.75
90th$118,330$56.89

“≥” means at least the published amount; “≤” means at most that amount. These are bounds, not exact values. “Not published” means the source did not provide that figure. Occupational wages follow the source definition and do not establish an employer’s base salary, equity or total compensation.

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THE WORK BEHIND THE TITLE

What this career involves.

Occupation definitions describe common work. Responsibilities and requirements vary by employer and specific job.

Selected title examples

Certified Laser Technician (Certified Laser Tech)Electro-Optics Technician (Electro-Optics Tech)Fiber Optics AssemblerFiber Optics Cabling SpecialistFiber Optics Design Technician (Fiber Optics Design Tech)Fiber Optics InstructorFiber Optics SpecialistFiber Optics SplicerFiber Optics Technician (Fiber Optics Tech)Fiber SplicerFiber Technician (Fiber Tech)Healthcare Laser Technician (Healthcare Laser Tech)
Expand more title examples (29)
Installation Technician (Installation Tech)Laser Assembly Technician (Laser Assembly Tech)Laser OperatorLaser Scanners Technician (Laser Scanners Tech)Laser SpecialistLaser Technician (Laser Tech)Medical Laser Technician (Medical Laser Tech)Mobile Laser Technician (Mobile Laser Tech)Mobile Technician (Mobile Tech)Optical Engineering Technician (Optical Engineering Tech)Optical Fabrication Technician (Optical Fabrication Tech)Optical Manufacturing Technician (Optical Manufacturing Tech)Optics Manufacturing Technician (Optics Manufacturing Tech)Optics Technician (Optics Tech)Optics Test Technician (Optics Test Tech)Optoelectronic Technician (Optoelectronic Tech)Optomechanical Technician (Optomechanical Tech)Photonics EngineerPhotonics Engineering Technician (Photonics Engineering Tech)Photonics Engineering TechnologistPhotonics Laboratory Technician (Photonics Lab Tech)Photonics Technician (Photonics Tech)Removal Technician (Removal Tech)Ruling Technician (Ruling Tech)Splicing Technician (Splicing Tech)Strain Technician (Strain Tech)Surgical Laser Technician (Surgical Laser Tech)Test Technician (Test Tech)Thin Film Technician (Thin Film Tech)

Typical 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.
Expand more tasks (18)
  • 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.

Skills used in this work

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.
Expand more skills (29)
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.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Repairing
Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Installation
Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
Operation and Control
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Systems Analysis
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Systems Evaluation
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Equipment Selection
Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Mathematics
Using mathematics to solve problems.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Management of Personnel Resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Technology Design
Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.
Management of Material Resources
Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Programming
Writing computer programs for various purposes.
Management of Financial Resources
Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
Negotiation
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Operations Analysis
Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
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Sources and citation.

Cite this page: Wages.fyi, “Photonics Technicians career and wage guide.” Link to this Wages.fyi page

This page includes information from the O*NET® 31.0 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. Wages.fyi has selected and organized this information and added wage navigation and explanations. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Database license and attribution requirements.

Official occupation profile · Official wage reference . Wage reference: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, distributed through the O*NET® OnLine service. Source data and publication dates can differ from the date this page is accessed.