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Laser & Optical Technology

Types of Degrees Laser & Optical Technology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Laser & Optical Technology may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	67
Associate’s Degree	78
Master’s Degree	93

What Laser & Optical Technology Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Laser & Optical Technology develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Laser & Optical Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Laser & Optical Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Physics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Laser & Optical Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Quality Control Analysis — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Laser & Optical Technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Laser & Optical Technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Laser & Optical Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
National Instruments LabVIEW	Development environment software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
ZEMAX Optical Design Program	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Computer aided manufacturing CAM software	Computer aided manufacturing CAM software	—
Image processing software	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Laser & Optical Technology graduates include:

• Test Technician (Test Tech)
• Laser Specialist
• Laser Assembly Technician (Laser Assembly Tech)
• Healthcare Laser Technician (Healthcare Laser Tech)
• Laser Scanners Technician (Laser Scanners Tech)
• Fiber Optics Cabling Specialist
• Fiber Optics Instructor
• Fiber Optics Design Technician (Fiber Optics Design Tech)
• Photonics Laboratory Technician (Photonics Lab Tech)
• Medical Laser Technician (Medical Laser Tech)
• Optical Fabrication Technician (Optical Fabrication Tech)
• Laser Operator
• Photonics Engineer
• Surgical Laser Technician (Surgical Laser Tech)
• Photonics Engineering Technologist

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Laser & Optical Technology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	47.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	25.4%
Bachelor’s degree	9.2%
Postsecondary certificate	6.9%
Some college courses	6.8%
Master’s degree	2.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Laser & Optical Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 82.3% of Laser & Optical Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	44	17.7%
Men	205	82.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Laser & Optical Technology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	138	55.4%
Asian	10	4.0%
Hispanic or Latino	61	24.5%
Black or African American	20	8.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.4%
Two or More Races	10	4.0%
Race Unknown	8	3.2%
International Students	1	0.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Laser & Optical Technology Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Laser & Optical Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$62,062
4 years	$60,768
5 years	$67,536

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $67,536 — roughly 9% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Laser & Optical Technology Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Laser & Optical Technology graduates earn a median of $60,768 four years after completion — roughly 60% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians	9,196
Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician	6,829
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other	1,750
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians	1,557
Biomedical Technology/Technician	1,460
Computer/Computer Systems Technology/Technician	1,272
Computer Engineering Technology/Technician	1,215
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other	492
Telecommunications Technology/Technician	282
Computer Software Technology/Technician	278
Applied Engineering Technologies/Technicians	113
Composite Materials Technology/Technician	108

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.