How To Become An Optical Design Engineer: What It Is and Career Path

What is an optical design engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Optical design engineers work in fields that create laser technology, fiber optics, optical lenses, telescopes, and other industries that involve optics. Their primary duty is to design applications or devices using optics technology and develop optical systems for cameras, telescopes, and lenses.

Other duties of an optical design engineer may include developing components of optical technology devices, determining specifications and calibration standards for optical systems, and testing the performance of their design. They are also typically responsible for solving optical problems and assisting mechanical engineers in creating optical systems and components.

The role of an optical design engineer entails a high level of education, usually a bachelor's or master's degree in a relevant field of engineering. Many employers also look for candidates with substantial experience in optical engineering and project management.

Aside from technical and mechanical skills, an optical design engineer must also be good at organization, time management, problem-solving, and communication with other team members. Excellent interpersonal and decision-making skills also make one a better candidate for this role.

As you would expect from an engineering position, the average salary of an optical engineer is in a high range--around $71,000 to $126,000 per year.

ScoreOptical Design EngineerUS Average

Salary

7.4

Avg. Salary $94,750

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.7

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.18%

Asian 17.19%

Black or African American 4.80%

Hispanic or Latino 11.11%

Unknown 4.70%

White 62.02%

Gender

female 19.49%

male 80.51%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

5.7

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.2

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an optical design engineer

Explore optical design engineer education requirements

Most common optical design engineer degrees

Bachelor's

56.0 %

Master's

20.9 %

Associate

11.0 %

Start to develop specific optical design engineer skills

Skills	Percentages
Optical Design	15.59%
MATLAB	15.31%
Zemax	14.73%
Optical Systems	7.67%
Light Analysis	6.95%

Complete relevant optical design engineer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New optical design engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an optical design engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real optical design engineer resumes.

Research optical design engineer duties and responsibilities

Manage automation projects including purchasing, scheduling fabrication and assembly, debugging, and delivery to customer.
Handle cost analysis, quotes, BOM.
Programme GE touch screen operator interfaces (HMI) and design operator control consoles.
Enhance machine efficiency by designing and testing HMI screens to maximize ease of operation.

Apply for optical design engineer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an optical design engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

What is an optical design engineer and how to become one

Optical design engineer career paths