Occupation Details
Photonics Technicians
Build, install, test, or maintain optical or fiber optic equipment, such as lasers, lenses, or mirrors, using spectrometers, interferometers, or related equipment.
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Interests
Realistic
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Investigative
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Conventional
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
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.
Relationships
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Support
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Salary & Job Outlook
Starting Salary
$43,390.00
New York StateMedian Salary
$61,410.00
New York StateExperienced Salary
$69,770.00
New York StateNational Average for Comparison
New York State Job Market Outlook
Jobs Right Now (2018)
27,210
professionals in NYFuture Job Growth (2030)
29,050
+184 jobs/yearNew Jobs Every Year
2,839
new opportunities yearlyGrowth Rate
0.1%
projected increasePreparation: Experience, Training, and Education
The list below outlines the prior educational experience required to perform in this occupation.
College Helps - Some college classes or training
Experience Requirements
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.
Education Requirements
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Training Details
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.
Transferrable Skills and Experience
These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, desktop publishers, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters and simultaneous captioners, and medical assistants.
School Programs
The following lists school programs which are applicable to this occupation.
Licensing & Certification
State License and Certifications Requirements are not currently associated with this occupation.
Apprenticeship
Contact your regional representative to learn more about apprenticeships available in your area by visiting Apprenticeship Contacts.
Skills
The list below includes the skills required by workers in this occupation; skills are what allow you to learn more quickly and improve your performance.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Operations Monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
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.
Quality Control Analysis
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Troubleshooting
Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Skill level is measured on a seven point scale, where one means 'some competence required for this occupation' and seven means 'a high level of expertise required for this occupation'.
Knowledge
The list below includes knowledge items, the principles and facts required by this occupation.
Engineering and Technology
Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Computers and Electronics
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Mathematics
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Mechanical
Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Physics
Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Design
Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Knowledge level is measured on a seven point scale, where one means 'some competence required for this occupation' and seven means 'a high level of expertise required for this occupation'.
Work Environment
The list below includes the physical and social factors that influence the nature of work in this occupation.
Hover over or tap each factor to see its description.
Work Styles
Included in the list below are the personal work style characteristics that can affect how well a worker is likely to perform in this occupation.
Achievement/Effort
Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Adaptability/Flexibility
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Analytical Thinking
Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Attention to Detail
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Cooperation
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Dependability
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Initiative
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Integrity
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Persistence
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Stress Tolerance
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
Tools & Technology
This list below describes the machines, equipment, tools, software, and information technology that workers in this occupation will use.
Tools
- Abrasive grinding machines
- Analog oscilloscopes
- Atomic force microscopes AFM
- Autocollimators
- Bench refractometers
- Binocular light compound microscopes
- Biosafety cabinets
- Bit error rate testers BERT
- Calipers
- Chemical protective face shields
- Chemical vapor deposition CVD systems
- Collimators
- Common path interferometers
- Computerized numerical control CNC band saws
- Computerized numerical control CNC drill presses
- Computerized numerical control CNC lathes
- Computerized numerical control CNC machining centers
- Contact profilometers
- Coordinate measuring machines CMM
- Cutoff saws
- Dataloggers
- Depth gauges
- Die saws
- Die shears
- Diffractometers
- Digital logic probes
- Digital oscilloscopes
- Diode lasers
- Electron beam evaporators
- Electron cyclotron resonance ECR reactive ion etchers RIE
Technology
- Computer aided design CAD software
- Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
- Dassault Systemes SolidWorks
- Data acquisition software
- Database software
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
- Image processing software
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
- National Instruments LabVIEW
- Presentation software
- SAP business and customer relations management software
Duties
Job duties information is not available for this occupation.
Tasks
The list below outlines specific tasks that a worker in this occupation is called upon to do regularly.
- Maintain clean working environments, according to clean room standards.
- Compute or record photonic test data.
- Adjust or maintain equipment, such as lasers, laser systems, microscopes, oscilloscopes, pulse generators, power meters, beam analyzers, or energy measurement devices.
- 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.
- Document procedures, such as calibration of optical or fiber optic equipment.
- Repair or calibrate products, such as surgical lasers.
- Perform diagnostic analyses of processing steps, using analytical or metrological tools, such as microscopy, profilometry, or ellipsometry devices.
- Assist engineers in the development of new products, fixtures, tools, or processes.
- Mix, pour, or use processing chemicals or gases according to safety standards or established operating procedures.
- Assist scientists or engineers in the conduct of photonic experiments.
- Assemble fiber optical, optoelectronic, or free-space optics components, subcomponents, assemblies, or subassemblies.
- Set up or operate prototype or test apparatus, such as control consoles, collimators, recording equipment, or cables.
- Terminate, cure, polish, or test fiber cables with mechanical connectors.
- Monitor mechanical factors, such as turbine load or strain information.
- Design, build, or modify fixtures used to assemble parts.
- Test or perform failure analysis for optomechanical or optoelectrical products, according to test plans.
- Assemble or adjust parts or related electrical units of prototypes to prepare for testing.
- Splice fibers, using fusion splicing or other techniques.
- Recommend optical or optic equipment design or material changes to reduce costs or processing times.
- Optimize photonic process parameters by making prototype or production devices.
- Build prototype optomechanical devices for use in equipment such as aerial cameras, gun sights, or telescopes.
- Monitor inventory levels and order supplies as necessary.
- 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.
- Perform laser seam welding, heat treatment, or hard facing operations.
- Fabricate devices, such as optoelectronic or semiconductor devices.
- Build photonics tools to be applied to electrical grids to detect hot spots, such as failing insulators or conductors.
- Assemble devices or equipment to be used in green technology applications, including solar energy, high efficiency solid state lighting, energy management, smart buildings, or green processes.
- Develop solar power sources for lasers used in fiber optics.
- Fabricate sensors to be used to control wind turbines.