Laser Technicians: Job Description, Education, Skills and Abilities, Earnings and Outlook
Submitted by: paula
Job Overview LASER is an acronym which stands for Light Amplification by Simulated Emission of Radiation. The laser machine is responsible for converting electrical power into a beam of optical light of light power for different purposes. These include drilling holes in diamonds, removing cancerous body parts, and cutting off minerals, to name a few. Those workers who are involved in the production, installation, operation and providing services such as tests to the laser systems and fiber optics are called laser technicians. Usually, they work under the supervision and direction of the engineers and scientists, specifically the physicists, who conduct laboratory activities and research.
Education, Knowledge and Trainings Required
If you wish to establish a career in becoming a laser technician, prepare as early as high school by taking subjects such as computer science, mathematics and physics. The minimum requirement to be able to practice as such is a possession of an associate's degree in laser technology. This program or degree can be obtained in any of the vocational, community and technical colleges.
Skills and Abilities
The skills that are most priced in this profession are mechanical and manipulative skills as well as technical and scientific skills. A good manual dexterity as well as hand-eye coordination are also required to be able to fulfill the tasks involved in the job. As they deal with some dangerous equipment or lasers, it is a prerequisite that the technicians are exta careful, attentive as well as able to follow instructions and safety precautions well.
Duties
Laser technicians may be assigned to perform wide variety of tasks.
The assignment depends on the position they are in and the venue of employment/ the industry they work with. Take for example, some technicians are tasked to repair lasers or provide instructions as to the use of the equipment. There are some others who work for different laser applications such as working as technicians in the welding industry or in an optical surgery wherein lasers are the primary equipment being used. There are five areas a laser technician is commonly employed: military, communications, medical, research and materials processing. In any of these fields, the most common responsibility is to do building and repair of laser devices. The other duties that they perform include taking measurements, doing device inspection, cleaning of the devices, aligning, operating lasers and facilitating data collection. There could be times that they will be tasked to program computers that input data, generate reports and control lasers.
Earnings and Job Outlook
The job outlook for this kind of profession is said to be faster than the average for the other professions. A laser technician salary starts off from 21,000 U.S. dollars to 30,000 U.S. dollars. The salary depends on the following factors: the educational attainment, the level of responsibilities, the number of years of experience in the field and the location and type of employment. Others who are in the supervisory position may earn around and over 67,000 U.S. dollars yearly.
Paula Hiz is a researcher and a human resource specialist who helps newly graduates, job applicants and post graduate professionals be aware of their job opportunities and available trainings for skills and practice upgrading.
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Word Count: 533 Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2011 Time: 9:06 AM
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