Compare Occupations

	Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians	Medical Equipment Repairers	Medical Appliance Technicians	Photonics Technicians	Ophthalmic Medical Technicians	Ophthalmic Medical Technologists
SUMMARY	91% Imminent Risk	42% Moderate Risk	37% Low Risk	42% Moderate Risk	42% Moderate Risk	37% Low Risk
JOB SCORE	2.7/10	6.3/10	4.6/10	4.3/10	4.8/10	5.2/10
POLLING	52% (Moderate Risk, Based on 15 votes)	32% (Low Risk, Based on 36 votes)	There hasn't been enough votes on this occupation yet	There hasn't been enough votes on this occupation yet	There hasn't been enough votes on this occupation yet	There hasn't been enough votes on this occupation yet
GROWTH by year 2034	2.3%	12.9%	3.7%	1.5%	19.8%	5.2%
WAGES	$38,420 or $18.47 per hour	$62,630 or $30.11 per hour	$47,060 or $22.62 per hour	$77,390 or $37.20 per hour	$44,080 or $21.19 per hour	$48,790 or $23.45 per hour
VOLUME as of 2024	18,740	60,830	11,490	64,410	76,520	174,060
SNOWFLAKE [?] The Snowflake is a visual summary of the five badges: Automation Risk (calculated), Risk (polled), Growth, Wages and Volume. It gives you an instant snapshot of an occupations profile. The colour of the Snowflake relates to its size. The better the occupation scores in relation to others, the larger and greener the Snowflake becomes.
DESCRIPTION	Cut, grind, and polish eyeglasses, contact lenses, or other precision optical elements. Assemble and mount lenses into frames or process other optical elements. Includes precision lens polishers or grinders, centerer-edgers, and lens mounters.	Test, adjust, or repair biomedical or electromedical equipment.	Construct, maintain, or repair medical supportive devices such as braces, orthotics and prosthetic devices, joints, arch supports, and other surgical and medical appliances.	Build, install, test, or maintain optical or fiber optic equipment, such as lasers, lenses, or mirrors, using spectrometers, interferometers, or related equipment.	Assist ophthalmologists by performing ophthalmic clinical functions. May administer eye exams, administer eye medications, and instruct the patient in care and use of corrective lenses.	Assist ophthalmologists by performing ophthalmic clinical functions and ophthalmic photography. Provide instruction and supervision to other ophthalmic personnel. Assist with minor surgical procedures, applying aseptic techniques and preparing instruments. May perform eye exams, administer eye medications, and instruct patients in care and use of corrective lenses.

Compare Occupations Side by Side

Curious how automation and AI could affect your career? Our comparison tool lets you view two or more jobs side by side, helping you quickly spot differences in risk level, pay, growth, and popularity. All of this is based on a mix of academic research, user polling, and official labour data.

Automation Risk

Each occupation shows a probability of automation. A higher score means machines and algorithms are more likely to take over the role in the future.

Job Score

A quick summary of how a job performs overall — factoring in wages, growth, volume, and automation risk. It’s a handy way to see the bigger picture at a glance.

Polling Data

Thousands of visitors cast their votes on how “automatable” each job feels. These community insights are shown alongside the calculated probabilities.

Growth & Wages

See how fast each occupation is projected to grow and what people earn on average. High wages don’t always mean high security — automation risk still matters.

Volume of Workers

Explore how many people currently work in each occupation and in which year the data was recorded. Popularity can affect how disruptive automation will be for the wider economy.

The Snowflake Diagram

Each snowflake visualises the balance between automation risk, wages, growth, and job volume. Bigger and greener areas mean stronger performance in that dimension.

Use this comparison page to research careers, guide students, or simply explore the future of work. All data is regularly updated to keep the results relevant.