Optical Mechanics

ANZSCO ID 399914

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
480
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
81%
Female Share
27%
Average age
46

Summary

Optical Mechanics operate machines to grind, polish and surface optical lenses to meet prescription requirements, and fit lenses to spectacle frames.

Tasks

  • Selects and assembles optical elements for instruments and fits them in position.

  • Scrapes, files and laps mount of instrument to align optical elements.

  • Centres, focuses, adjusts and calibrates instrument on standard targets.

  • Anchors lenses and other optical elements with adhesives or retaining ring.


Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Other Technicians and Trades Workers, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 81% of people employed as Optical Mechanics work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 15 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 41 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Health Care and Social Assistance
47.8%
2
Manufacturing
34.6%
3
Wholesale Trade
6.7%
4
Other Services
2.3%
5
Other industries
2.3%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

24.9% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

32.6% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

22.4% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

8.8% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

7.5% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

2.7% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.0% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.0% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Optical Mechanics All Jobs Average
NSW 24.9 31.6
VIC 32.6 25.6
QLD 22.4 20.0
SA 8.8 7.0
WA 7.5 10.8
TAS 2.7 2.0
NT 0.0 1.0
ACT 1.0 1.9


  • Around 75% of Optical Mechanics live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.

    Victoria has a large share of employment relative to its population size.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
46
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
27%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Optical Mechanics is 46 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.

    Females make up 27% of the workforce. This is 21 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Optical Mechanics All Jobs Average
15-19 0.6 5.0
20-24 3.8 9.3
25-34 15.8 22.9
35-44 25.9 22.0
45-54 27.4 21.6
55-59 10.5 9.0
60-64 10.3 6.0
65 and Over 5.5 4.2
Median Age 46 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Formal qualifications are not essential to work as an Optical Mechanic. Although some workers have a certificate III or IV in optical technology.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Health Industry, Plastics, Rubber & Cablemaking and Property Services VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Optical Mechanics All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 2.4 10.1
Bachelor degree 10.9 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 10.2 11.6
Certificate III/IV 46.1 21.1
Year 12 21.3 18.1
Year 11 1.7 4.8
Year 10 and below 7.6 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Other Technicians and Trades Workers who are reliable, work well in a team and have a strong work ethic.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 48%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 45%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 41%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 41%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 41%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 41%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 41%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 39%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 37%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 37%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 37%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 37%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 36%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 36%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 36%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 36%

    Equipment selection

    Deciding on the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.

  • 36%

    Repairing

    Fixing machines or systems.

  • 36%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 34%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 29%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 58%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 53%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 49%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 49%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 40%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 35%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 35%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 34%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 31%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 30%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 22%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 22%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 21%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 20%

    Medicine and dentistry

    Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.

  • 18%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 17%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 15%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 14%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 14%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 12%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 63%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 61%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • 59%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 54%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 48%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

  • 45%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 45%

    Visualization

    Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • 43%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 43%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 43%

    Colour discrimination

    Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.

  • 43%

    Reaction time

    Quickly move your hand, finger, or foot when a sound, light, picture or something else appears.

  • 43%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 43%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 41%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 41%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 41%

    Rate control

    Change when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

  • 41%

    Wrist-finger speed

    Make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.

  • 39%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 39%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 37%

    Depth perception

    Decide which thing is closer or further away from you, or decide how far away it is.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 60%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 55%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 55%

    Controlling equipment or machines

    Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).

  • 52%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 50%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 49%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 49%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 48%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 44%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 43%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 42%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 41%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 41%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 40%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 39%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 37%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 37%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 33%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 33%

    Helping and caring for others

    Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.

  • 33%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 52%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 33%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 29%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 14%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 14%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 62%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 48%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 48%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 45%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 43%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 38%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 99%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 92%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 92%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 87%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 85%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 84%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 84%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 83%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 81%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 80%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 78%

    Pace of work set by equipment

    Pace of work depends on the speed of equipment or machinery.

  • 77%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

  • 77%

    Exposure to contaminants

    Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.

  • 75%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 71%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 71%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 71%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 70%

    Angry or unpleasant people

    Deal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.

  • 70%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

    Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.

  • 68%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 51-9083.00 - Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians.


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