How to hire an optical manufacturing technician

How to hire an optical manufacturing technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step optical manufacturing technician hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an optical manufacturing technician job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new optical manufacturing technician
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an optical manufacturing technician, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An optical manufacturing technician's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, optical manufacturing technicians from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of optical manufacturing technician salaries for various roles:

   Type of Optical Manufacturing Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Optical Manufacturing Technician		$10-24
   Technician	Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with... Show more	$11-27
   Laser Technician	A Laser Technician or photonic technician is a trained professional responsible for operating and keeping the laser equipment in place. An experienced individual knows about running and using laser devices for medical purposes: their responsibility is to assemble, test, recalibrate, and repair laser devices or actual lasers... Show more	$14-22

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CNC
   • Optical Components
   • Prism
   • Interferometers
   • Test Equipment
   • R
   • Production Control
   • Clean Room Environment

   Responsibilities:

   • Maintain coating quality using adhesion testing and spectrophotometers, and manage coating hues and reflectance adjustments.
   • Perform math calculations require for batch processing such as determining loss amounts, process yields and accountability and verifying inventory reconciliations.
   • Utilize schematics to troubleshoot tank electronics.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your optical manufacturing technician job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An optical manufacturing technician salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, optical manufacturing technicians' average salary in oklahoma is 33% less than in oregon.
   • Seniority. Entry-level optical manufacturing technicians earn 59% less than senior-level optical manufacturing technicians.
   • Certifications. An optical manufacturing technician with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an optical manufacturing technician's salary.

   Average optical manufacturing technician salary

   $15.89hourly

   $33,056 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level optical manufacturing technician salary

   $21,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

4. Writing an optical manufacturing technician job description

   A good optical manufacturing technician job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an optical manufacturing technician job description:

   Optical manufacturing technician job description example

   + Position Type: Full Time - Regular
   + Experience Required: 3 - 5 Years
   
   + Location: CT-East Granby
   
   + Education Required: GED
   
   + Relocation Provided: No
   
   + Tier: US01
   
   Email a Friend Save SaveApply Now
   
   Job Description and Responsibilities:
   
   Coherent is a world leader of lasers and laser-based technology for materials processing, microelectronics, scientific, life sciences and medical customers. The light we deliver touches almost every aspect of human life-vision correction to cell analysis, precision welding to 3-D metal printing, gravity wave detection to brain research. Put your talents to work at Coherent where you can create and innovate enabling technologies that will push the frontiers of science and technology.
   
   We are seeking a Fiber Draw Technician at our East Granby CT location. This role is part of our production team and is responsible for the daily standard production draw procedure, which includes:
   
   + Monitoring fiber draw runs and making adjustments as needed
   
   + Documenting all process aspects of run
   
   + Processing fiber after draw
   
   + Learning basic draw and QC inspection testing
   
   + Basic troubleshooting of draw problems as needed
   
   + Starting and shutting down draw runs
   
   + Cleaning and inspection of coating dies
   
   + Working safely around and with chemicals and water-cooled furnaces
   
   + Gowning to maintain clean room environment
   
   + Other duties as required
   
   #LI-CM1
   
   Education and Work Experience:
   
   Minimum Qualifications:
   
   + Technical or engineering-based associate's degree or certification OR 2+ years of industrial manufacturing experience
   
   + Computer literacy including data entry in databases such as Excel
   
   + Fine motor skills required to manually manipulate fiber
   
   + Ability to move safely under and around equipment
   
   + Ability to move up to 15 pounds
   
   + Ability to work in basket lift 25' above floor
   
   Desired Qualifications:
   
   + 2+ years of fiber draw, telecommunications, or fiber optics experience
   
   + Able and willing to work independently and as part of a team
   
   + Detail-oriented and conscientious work attitude
   
   We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.

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5. Post your job

   To find optical manufacturing technicians for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any optical manufacturing technicians they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level optical manufacturing technicians with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your optical manufacturing technician job on Zippia to find and recruit optical manufacturing technician candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with optical manufacturing technician candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new optical manufacturing technician

   Once you've selected the best optical manufacturing technician candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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