Optical Mechanic
An optical mechanic assembles, aligns, and tests optical instruments and components such as lenses, mirrors, prisms, and laser systems in manufacturing or laboratory settings. They work with precision optical equipment, measuring instruments, and specialised machinery to produce components that meet strict optical and dimensional specifications.
What this job is
An optical mechanic assembles, aligns, and tests optical instruments and components such as lenses, mirrors, prisms, and laser systems in manufacturing or laboratory settings. They work with precision optical equipment, measuring instruments, and specialised machinery to produce components that meet strict optical and dimensional specifications. The role requires knowledge of optical principles, materials science, and mechanical assembly techniques to ensure optical performance and quality standards.
Are employers advertising this role?
Rising, up 34.3% over 5 years
Counted across a group of similar roles. These are three-month rolling averages of online job advertisements, not filled positions.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index.
Day-to-day
Assemble optical components including lenses, mirrors, prisms, and filters into multi-element optical systems using precision assembly techniques and optical benches. Align optical elements using autocollimators, laser alignment systems, and coordinate measuring machines to achieve specified focal lengths and optical axis tolerances. Polish and finish optical surfaces using polishing compounds, machines, and hand tools to achieve required surface quality and anti-reflective coatings. Test optical performance using equipment such as interferometers, wavefront sensors, and spectrophotometers to verify transmission, aberration, and focal length specifications. Calibrate and maintain optical testing instruments including laser systems, theodolites, and optical power meters according to ISO standards and traceability requirements. Interpret optical drawings and specifications including lens prescriptions, Zernike coefficients, and modulation transfer function (MTF) data to guide assembly and testing. Mount and secure optical components into mechanical mounts and housings using optical cement, mechanical fixtures, and retaining rings. Record optical measurements and assembly data in quality control systems and prepare inspection reports documenting compliance with specifications.
Who does this now
About 400 people worked in this occupation across Australia at the 2021 Census.
What this role asks for
Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least two years of on-the-job training (ABS skill level 3)
Can employers fill these jobs
Employers hiring for this occupation were generally able to find suitable applicants in 2025. This measures how hard employers found it to fill jobs. It is not a count of jobs, and it does not say whether the occupation is growing.
Requirements
The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least two years of on-the-job training (ABS skill level 3). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.
The honest hard part
The work is highly repetitive and physically demanding on your eyes and hands. You'll spend hours aligning tiny components to micron tolerances, which causes eye strain and repetitive strain injuries. Pay tops out quickly because it's a specialist trade role, not a pathway to management. Automation is gradually replacing manual polishing and alignment tasks.
Where the jobs are
Remote work is not an option. Employers cluster near aerospace, automotive optics, and research institutions.
Pay
Published for ANZSCO unit group 3999, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.
This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.
Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
Skills
- Attention to Detailcore
- Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracycore
- Continuous Learning and Upskillingcore
- Health Terminology Literacycore
- Inventory Trackingcore
- Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
- Problem Solvingcore
- Quality Assurance and Checkingcore
- Record Managementcore
- Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
- Team Collaborationcore
- Time Management and Prioritisationcore
- Verbal Communicationcore
- Adaptability and Flexibility
- Adjust glass sheets
- Adjust measuring machines
- Ceramics glazes
- Customer Needs Assessment
- Data Entry and Accuracy
- HICAPS and Medicare Claiming Systems
- Process Improvement Identification
- Workload Self-Management
- Written Communication
Which of these do you have?
Tick the ones you haveCommon questions
Sources
- ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
- ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
- ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.
Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.
Last updated: 30 October 2026
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