Thirty-three percent were in retail optical stores that manufacture and sell prescription glasses. A little over 31 percent were in optical laboratories. These laboratories manufacture eyewear for sale by retail stores that fabricate prescription glasses, and by ophthalmologists and optometrists. Most of the rest were in wholesalers or in optical laboratories that manufacture lenses for other optical instruments, such as telescopes and binoculars. Nearly all ophthalmic laboratory technicians learn their skills on the job.
Employers filling trainee jobs prefer applicants who are high school graduates.
Technician trainees producing lenses by hand start on simple tasks such as marking or blocking lenses for grinding, then progress to lens grinding, lens cutting, edging, beveling, and eyeglass assembly. Depending on individual aptitude, it may take up to 6 months to become proficient in all phases of the work. Technicians using automated systems will find computer skills valuable. Training is completed on the job and varies in duration depending on the type of machinery and individual aptitude. Some ophthalmic laboratory technicians learn their trade in the Armed Forces.