Photonics Technicians: Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz

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Photonics Technicians

Photonics Technicians build, install, test, or maintain optical or fiber optic equipment, such as lasers, lenses, or mirrors, using spectrometers, interferometers, or related equipment.

Salary
$67640
Becoming One
Medium
Education
Associate's degree
Job Satisfaction
Job Growth
Low

Personality



Job description

Photonics Technicians build, install, test, or maintain optical or fiber optic equipment, such as lasers, lenses, or mirrors, using spectrometers, interferometers, or related equipment.

  • 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.
Read more about what does a Photonics Technician really do at work and what is it like being and working as one.



Salary

Average salary
$65720 per year

Average hourly wage
$32 per hour


Photonics Technicians with little to no experience tend to make between $36120 and $47500 while the more experienced ones can earn over $80670 per year.

Top 5 paying states Hourly Annual
DC $45 $92,600
MD $41 $84,790
ME $38 $79,670
NM $38 $78,160
VA $37 $77,280

One of the easiest ways to increase your salary as a Photonics Technician is to move to a higher paying state like DC. Right now, the highest paying states for Photonics Technicians are DC, MD, ME, NM and VA.

However, a higher pay at DC doesn’t guarantee that you will make more because the living expenses at DC might be twice as high than where you are currently at now.

Three other factors that can increase your salary as a Photonics Technician is the degree you hold, the industry you work in, and lastly the company you work for.


Requirements

Recommended degree level
Associate’s degree

We asked other Photonics Technicians what degree they had when they got the job and most of them said they had an Associate’s Degree followed by a College Certificate.

Other than that, we also asked them what did they major in and here are the most popular majors that came up.

Architectural Engineering Technology/Technician
Laser and Optical Technology/Technician
Biomedical Technology/Technician
Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician
Energy Management and Systems Technology/Technician
Read more about how to become a Photonics Technician and the degree, training and education you need.

Pros and Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of being a Photonics Technician.

PROS
Suitable for people who likes practical and hands-on work
Suitable for people who values achievements and are results-oriented
This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors.
It is not too difficult to get into this career. Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for this career.
Normal working hours (40 hours per week)
CONS
Not suitable for people who likes to help and teach others

What is the job like

Job satisfaction
70%

Is this job meaningful
60%


70% of Photonics Technicians said they were satisfied with their job and 60% said they feel like their job is making other people’s lives better.


Is this right for me

Best personality for this career
The Builders and The Thinkers

You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..

They also like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.



Learn more about Photonics Technicians

Summary (You are here)
Job Description
Salary
Requirements
Quiz

Related career information

Photonics Technicians job description, Photonics Technicians salary, Photonics Technicians information, what is the job of a Photonics Technician like, pros and cons about Photonics Technicians, colleges and universities for Photonics Technicians, is Photonics Technicians the right career for me, careers in Architecture and Engineering

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