The demand for skilled, experienced technicians exceeds the supply. Due to the ever-increasing number of uses for laser technology, market surveys show that the laser industry is now growing at the same rate as the computer industry did a few years ago. The use of lasers in medicine, telecommunications, manufacturing, construction, data storage and retrieval, and photography, and scientific research and development insures a continued demand for technicians. Funding cutbacks in space technology are curtailing hiring in this field, however. Enlistment in the Armed Forces may lead to a career in laser technology.
Defense industries are another field in which the demand for technicians has lessened.
The best way for job seekers to get a job as a laser technician is through the placement office of the school or college where they learned their skills. Recruiters from employers sometimes visit these schools to interview candidates. Schools and colleges also teach skills in electronics, optics, and mechanics, as well as lasers. Some companies do not hire technicians whose skills are limited to lasers. They may hire electronics or electro-optical technicians knowledgeable in lasers.