Photonics Technicians
Build, install, test, or maintain optical or fiber optic equipment, such as lasers, lenses, or mirrors, using spectrometers, interferometers, or related equipment.
$78,350 a year (for the broader BLS group this job sits in).
of the working time. Estimate.
- 16%
- 0%
- 84%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 8%. Today's estimate: 10%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 24 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fabricate devices, such as optoelectronic or semiconductor devices.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 16% | 6.7 h2.5 h to 2.5 work days | Stays with people | |
| Assist engineers in the development of new products, fixtures, tools, or processes.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 14% | 5 h1.7 h to 1.7 work days | Stays with people | |
| Build prototype optomechanical devices for use in equipment such as aerial cameras, gun sights, or telescopes.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 9% | 6.7 h1.7 h to 2.5 work days | Stays with people | |
| Assemble fiber optical, optoelectronic, or free-space optics components, subcomponents, assemblies, or subassemblies.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 9% | 2.5 h50 min to 6.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Recommend optical or optic equipment design or material changes to reduce costs or processing times.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 7% | 3.3 h50 min to 6.7 h | 32%Half by Jan 2027 | |
| 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.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 6% | 1.3 h25 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Adjust or maintain equipment, such as lasers, laser systems, microscopes, oscilloscopes, pulse generators, power meters, beam analyzers, or energy measurement devices.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 5% | 1.3 h25 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Test or perform failure analysis for optomechanical or optoelectrical products, according to test plans.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 5% | 2.5 h50 min to 6.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Compute or record photonic test data.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | 95%Half by now | |
| Optimize photonic process parameters by making prototype or production devices.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 4% | 5 h1.7 h to 1.7 work days | Stays with people | |
| Document procedures, such as calibration of optical or fiber optic equipment.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 4% | 1.7 h50 min to 4.2 h | 82%Half by now | |
| Assist scientists or engineers in the conduct of photonic experiments.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 3% | 1.7 h50 min to 5 h | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Photonics Engineers3% now, 37% by 2028
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians17% now, 49% by 2028
- Calibration Technologists and Technicians17% now, 55% by 2028
- Robotics Technicians11% now, 26% by 2028
- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians16% now, 49% by 2028
- Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians4% now, 17% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.