Cut, grind, and polish eyeglasses, contact lenses, or other precision optical elements. Assemble and mount lenses into frames or process other optical elements. Includes precision lens polishers or grinders, centerer-edgers, and lens mounters.
U.S. Workers
18,740
Median Salary
$38,420
10-Year Growth
+2.3%
Annual Openings
2,400
Typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
18 of 18 tasks have some AI capability
Exposure Trend
This score reflects estimated AI technical capability for tasks in this occupation. It does not predict employment changes, and it does not account for company-specific constraints, regulation, or adoption barriers.
Mount and secure lens blanks or optical lenses in holding tools or chucks of cutting, polishing, grinding, or coating machines.
AI: Fully automatable - Automated tooling and robotic handlers can mount and secure lens blanks reliably in cutting, polishing, and coating machines in production environments.
Inspect lens blanks to detect flaws, verify smoothness of surface, and ensure thickness of coating on lenses.
AI: Fully automatable - High-resolution machine vision, interferometry, and automated inspection systems can detect surface flaws and measure coating thickness accurately, enabling full automation.
Inspect, weigh, and measure mounted or unmounted lenses after completion to verify alignment and conformance to specifications, using precision instruments.
AI: Fully automatable - Automated optical inspection systems and machine-readable gauges combined with computer vision and force/weight sensors can fully measure and verify lenses to specification.
Shape lenses appropriately so that they can be inserted into frames.
AI: Fully automatable - Automated edging and CNC lens generators reliably shape lenses for frames without continual human input in current production environments.
Examine prescriptions, work orders, or broken or used eyeglasses to determine specifications for lenses, contact lenses, or other optical elements.
AI: Fully automatable - Parsing prescriptions and work orders and determining lens specs is routine for software and vision systems, allowing full automation of specification extraction and basic assessment of broken items.
Select lens blanks, molds, tools, and polishing or grinding wheels, according to production specifications.
AI: Fully automatable - Inventory-driven selection of blanks, molds, and tooling according to specifications is readily automated with software plus robotic pick-and-place systems.
Position and adjust cutting tools to specified curvature, dimensions, and depth of cut.
AI: Fully automatable - Positioning and adjustment of cutting tools to specified curvatures and depths is a standard capability of CNC/edging machines and is fully automatable.
Immerse eyeglass frames in solutions to harden, soften, or dye frames.
AI: Fully automatable - Immersing frames in chemical baths is a simple, repeatable process already fully automated and controlled by industrial equipment and software.
Lay out lenses and trace lens outlines on glass, using templates.
AI: Fully automatable - Automated edgers, tracers, and vision systems can lay out and trace lens outlines with high precision, so AI-controlled machines can fully perform this task.
Control equipment that coats lenses to alter their reflective qualities.
AI: Fully automatable - Coating lines for lenses are computerized and can be controlled and optimized by AI, enabling full automation of reflective-coating processes.
Remove lenses from molds and separate lenses in containers for further processing or storage.
AI: Fully automatable - Vision-guided robots and pick-and-place systems can reliably remove molded lenses and separate them for further processing in many production settings.
Set up machines to polish, bevel, edge, or grind lenses, flats, blanks, or other precision optical elements.
AI: Partial - Some setup steps are automated (CNC/edging machines with auto-calibration), but physical loading, unusual setups, and troubleshooting still commonly require human intervention in 2025.
Clean finished lenses and eyeglasses, using cloths and solvents.
AI: Partial - Bulk cleaning (ultrasonic and solvent baths) is fully automatable but delicate final wiping and spot-cleaning of finished eyeglasses often still require human dexterity and judgement.
Mount, secure, and align finished lenses in frames or optical assemblies, using precision hand tools.
AI: Partial - Robotic mounting solutions exist for many common frame types, but the fine manual alignment and variable frame tolerances mean humans remain involved for many cases.
Adjust lenses and frames to correct alignment.
AI: Partial - Machines can perform many alignment adjustments, but nuanced manual tweaks, patient-specific fitting, and novel frame geometries still often require human adjustments.
Assemble eyeglass frames and attach shields, nose pads, and temple pieces, using pliers, screwdrivers, and drills.
AI: Partial - Industrial automation can assemble many frame types, but the variety of small parts, fragile components, and the need for final cosmetic/fit checks leave substantial human involvement in 2025.
Set dials and start machines to polish lenses or hold lenses against rotating wheels to polish them manually.
AI: Partial - Automated polishing machines and CNC systems can perform much of the work, but manual holding and ad‑hoc adjustments still often require human dexterity and judgment.
Repair broken parts, using precision hand tools and soldering irons.
AI: Partial - Robotic soldering and precision tooling systems can handle standardized repairs, but unpredictable precision repairs and fine manual adjustments remain largely manual.