Photonics Technician
I-27I Other Semiconductor fab jobs · Skilled level · O*NET 17-3029.08
- Texas median
whole occupation, 2025 - $73,860
- work over
40 h a week - 36%
- load index
from O*NET data - 2.3/5
- Texas jobs
2024 to 2034 - +16.2%
Pay
This level's pay
No published pay record names this level: no public record found in sources S1-S7 that names this rung. The occupation-wide figure below is for all experience levels.
Whole occupation: Photonics Technicians (17-3029), Texas BLS OEWS May 2025
- Series OEUS480000000000017302913 (median), Texas, May 2025, read 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Base pay (straight-time, excludes overtime).
- Based on an estimated 7,110 jobs in Texas (series OEUS480000000000017302901).
BLS OEWS May 2025
- Series OEUS480000000000017302913 (median), Texas, May 2025, read 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Base pay (straight-time, excludes overtime).
- Based on an estimated 7,110 jobs in Texas (series OEUS480000000000017302901).
Outlook 2024 to 2034, all Photonics Technicians, not level-specific TWC, BLS
- Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
TWC, BLS
- Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
- Texas
- +16.2% jobs · about 870 openings a year (8,290 jobs in 2024)
- United States
- +1.5% jobs · about 5,700 openings a year (67,300 jobs in 2024)
Openings include people retiring or changing jobs, not only growth.
Hours O*NET 31.0
- Duration of Typical Work Week (4.C.3.d.8), O*NET Work Context, data 08/2024, n = 22 respondents, O*NET OnLine
O*NET 31.0
- Duration of Typical Work Week (4.C.3.d.8), O*NET Work Context, data 08/2024, n = 22 respondents, O*NET OnLine
Schedule: regular 73% · irregular 27% · seasonal 0%
Physical load 2.3 of 5, our index from O*NET Method
- Engineer Tsai index (et_physical_v1): mean of a body index (2.12, 6 measures) and an exposure index (2.53, 7 measures), built from O*NET Work Context means, 1 to 5: Spend Time Standing; Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles; Spend Time Walking or Running; Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling; Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance; Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body; Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions; Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures; Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions; Exposed to High Places; Exposed to Hazardous Conditions; Exposed to Hazardous Equipment; Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection.
- O*NET OnLine
Method
- Engineer Tsai index (et_physical_v1): mean of a body index (2.12, 6 measures) and an exposure index (2.53, 7 measures), built from O*NET Work Context means, 1 to 5: Spend Time Standing; Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles; Spend Time Walking or Running; Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling; Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance; Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body; Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions; Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures; Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions; Exposed to High Places; Exposed to Hazardous Conditions; Exposed to Hazardous Equipment; Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection.
- O*NET OnLine
Body
- Standing3.32
- Walking or running2.36
- Bending or twisting2.05
- Kneeling or crawling1.76
- Keeping balance1.64
- Climbing ladders1.59
Exposure
- Hazardous equipment3.57
- Hazardous conditions3.32
- Cramped space2.41
- Protective gear2.33
- Very hot or cold2.18
- Outdoors, all weather2.14
- High places1.77
Getting in
- License
- No license for this job title at the 8 Texas and federal licensing agencies read on 2026-10-03 (TDLR, TSBPE, TCEQ, TCFP, TEA, TBPELS, NRC and EPA).
- Degree
- 18% hold a bachelor's or higher; most common: Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree
- Experience
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years of related experience is the most common answer (27% of workers).
O*NET
- O*NET Related Work Experience, Photonics Technicians, O*NET OnLine
- Preparation
- Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Why this level
- Skilled: O*NET Job Zone 3 (1-2 start, 3-4 skilled, 5 senior).
Moves to the side 7
- I Robotic Technician O*NET lists Robotics Technicians as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.95. License: depends on the work.
- I3 Controls Technician O*NET lists Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.93. License: depends on the work.
- I3 PLC Technician O*NET lists Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.93 (added because this role had no incoming edge; r >= 0.6 or an O*NET related tier). License: depends on the work.
- I Mechanical Engineering Technician O*NET lists Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.89.
What the work is 6 core tasks
Build, install, test, or maintain optical or fiber optic equipment, such as lasers, lenses, or mirrors, using spectrometers, interferometers, or related equipment.
- Compute or record photonic test data.
- Maintain clean working environments, according to clean room standards.
- Adjust or maintain equipment, such as lasers, laser systems, microscopes, oscilloscopes, pulse generators, power meters, beam analyzers, or energy measurement devices.
- Document procedures, such as calibration of optical or fiber optic equipment.
- 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.
- Assist scientists or engineers in the conduct of photonic experiments.
Core tasks ranked by O*NET task Importance (IM, 1-5), top 6.
Top skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Operations Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
- Active Learning
- Equipment Maintenance
- Monitoring
Sources (4)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, Texas, series OEUS480000000000017302913, read 2026-10-03
- Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), 17-3029.08 Photonics Technicians, read 2026-10-03
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Engineer Tsai has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 · O*NET license
Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Base pay; excludes overtime. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034 (United States) and Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections 2024-2034, read through Projections Central.
