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Laser & Optical Technology

Types of Degrees Laser & Optical Technology Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing 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

Coursework in 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 emphasized by 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 Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
National Instruments LabVIEW	Development environment software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Image processing software	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Computer aided design CAD software	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Facebook	Web page creation and editing software	—
Dassault Systemes SolidWorks	Computer aided design CAD 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
• Ruling Technician (Ruling Tech)
• Fiber Optics Assembler
• Strain Technician (Strain Tech)
• Splicing Technician (Splicing Tech)
• Fiber Splicer
• Photonics Engineer
• Photonics Technician (Photonics Tech)
• Mobile Technician (Mobile Tech)
• Optomechanical Technician (Optomechanical Tech)
• Electro-Optics Technician (Electro-Optics Tech)
• Mobile Laser Technician (Mobile Laser Tech)
• Optics Technician (Optics Tech)
• Fiber Optics Splicer

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?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Laser & Optical Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb 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	CIP Code
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians	15.03
Audio Engineering Technology/Technician	15.0307
Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician	15.0303
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other	15.0399
Integrated Circuit Design Technology/Technician	15.0306
Telecommunications Technology/Technician	15.0305
Applied Engineering Technologies/Technicians	15.0001
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians	15.0101
Biomedical Technology/Technician	15.0401
Chemical Engineering Technology/Technician	15.0615
Composite Materials Technology/Technician	15.0617
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other	15.1299

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.