Optical / Laser Engineer
What Does a Professional in this Career Do?
An Optical or Laser Engineer researches and develops technology that uses the science of light (optics). Optical technology includes fiber optic cables, which enable high-speed internet connections across long distances, and lasers, which can be used to make very small incisions and measurements. Works closely with scientists and engineers from other fields on advances in technology.
Job Outlook
There were 35 Optical / Laser Engineer job postings in North Carolina in the past year and 3388 in the United States.
In combination with other careers in the Optical / Laser Engineer industry, which includes the Optical / Laser Engineer career, the following graph shows the number of people employed for each year since 2015:
Salary
Many new Optical / Laser Engineer jobs have salaries estimated to be in the following ranges, based on the requirements and responsibilities listed in job postings from the past year.
National
The average estimated salary in the United States for this career, based on job postings in the past year, is $109,674.
State
The average estimated salary in North Carolina for this career, based on job postings in the past year, is $109,674.
Percentiles represent the percentage that is lower than the value. For example, 25% of estimated salaries for Optical / Laser Engineer postings in the United States in the past year were lower than $93,662.
Education and Experience
Posted Optical / Laser Engineer jobs typically require the following level of education. The numbers below are based on job postings in the United States from the past year. Not all job postings list education requirements.
| Education Level | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Associate's Degree | 4.07% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 61.22% |
| Master's Degree | 51.36% |
| Doctoral Degree | 31.43% |
| Other | 2.57% |
Posted Optical / Laser Engineer jobs typically require the following number of years of experience. The numbers below are based on job postings in the United States from the past year. Not all job postings list experience requirements.
| Years of Experience | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 0 to 2 years | 18.45% |
| 3 to 5 years | 42% |
| 6 to 8 years | 11.9% |
| 9+ years | 27.65% |
Skills
Below are listings of the most common general and specialized skills Optical / Laser Engineer positions expect applicants to have as well as the most common skills that distinguish individuals from their peers. The percentage of job postings that specifically mention each skill is also listed.
Baseline Skills
A skill that is required across a broad range of occupations, including this one.
- Communication (37.54%)
- Research (22.02%)
- Troubleshooting (Problem Solving) (20.13%)
- Management (18.83%)
- Problem Solving (16.38%)
- Leadership (16.06%)
- Innovation (15.47%)
- Operations (14.17%)
- Writing (12.93%)
- Mathematics (12.51%)
Defining Skills
A core skill for this occupation, it occurs frequently in job postings.
- Lasers (19.62%)
- OpticStudio (26.42%)
- Electrical Engineering (32.3%)
- Physics (46.04%)
- Electro-Optics (33.27%)
- Python (Programming Language) (25.16%)
- Optics (66.6%)
- MATLAB (32.08%)
- Optical Engineering (39.34%)
Necessary Skills
A skill that is requested frequently in this occupation but isn’t specific to it.
- Computer Engineering (5.16%)
- Automation (10.91%)
- Metrology (19.31%)
- R (Programming Language) (3.93%)
- Oscilloscope (4.72%)
- Photonics (7.77%)
- Scripting (5.66%)
- Mechanical Engineering (16.51%)
- Test Data (3.33%)
- Linux (3.77%)
- Data Analysis (16.1%)
- Sensors (19.78%)
- Electronics (12.58%)
- Test Automation (5.06%)
- New Product Development (15.25%)
- Systems Engineering (20.82%)
- Test Equipment (10.72%)
- Debugging (5.22%)
- Simulations (19.84%)
- Process Engineering (4.56%)
- Fiber Optics (7.3%)
- LabVIEW (9.25%)
- Prototyping (8.65%)
- Algorithms (11.07%)
- Systems Design (11.64%)
- Test Engineering (6.45%)
- Test Planning (8.14%)
- Project Management (9.81%)
- Computer Science (8.96%)
- C++ (Programming Language) (10.82%)
- SolidWorks (CAD) (6.73%)
- Development Environment (3.36%)
- Systems Integration (7.23%)
- Technical Leadership (5.79%)
- Telecommunications (5.03%)
- Subsystems (7.17%)
Distinguishing Skills
A skill that may distinguish a subset of the occupation.
- Polarization (5.85%)
- Electro-Optical Systems (12.23%)
- Wavefront (4.62%)
- Ray Tracing (3.65%)
- Optical Amplifier (1.29%)
- Physical Optics (5.28%)
- Optical Communication (6.1%)
- Laser Diode (3.02%)
- Laser Sciences (3.77%)
- LightTools (Optical Design Software) (2.96%)
- Optical Lens Design (2.3%)
Salary Boosting Skills
A professional who wishes to excel in this career path may consider developing the following highly valued skills. The percentage of job postings that specifically mention each skill is listed.
- Electro-Optical Systems (21.41%)
- Electro-Optics (58.23%)
- Electrical Engineering (56.52%)
- Laser Diode (5.28%)
- Ray Tracing (6.38%)
Alternative Job Titles
Sometimes employers post jobs with Optical / Laser Engineer skills but a different job title. Some common alternative job titles include:
- Optical Engineer
- Electro-Optical Engineer
- Optical Systems Engineer
- Metrology Engineer
- Principal Engineer
- Laser Engineer
- Optics Engineer
- Optical Scientist
- Staff Optical Engineer
- Optical Test Engineer
Similar Occupations
If you are interested in exploring occupations with similar skills, you may want to research the following job titles. Note that we only list occupations that have at least one corresponding NC State Online and Distance Education program.
- Research & Development Engineer
- Aerospace Engineer
- Signal Processing Engineer
- Electronics Engineer (General)
- Radio Frequency (RF) Engineer
- Electronic Warfare Engineer
- Systems Engineer
Common Employers
Here are the employers that have posted the most Optical / Laser Engineer jobs in the past year along with how many they have posted.
United States
- Lockheed Martin (219)
- Raytheon Technologies (133)
- ASML (103)
- L3Harris Technologies (79)
- Boeing (67)
- Meta (66)
- Ipg Photonics (65)
- The Aerospace Corporation (62)
- Apple (60)
- Northrop Grumman (59)
North Carolina
- Owens Corning (9)
- Cardinal Metalworks (4)
- Meta (3)
- Sumitomo Electric (2)
- Insight Global (2)
- Source Support Services (2)
- Chipton Ross (2)
- Ubeo (1)
- Bernhardt Furniture Co (1)
- Iron Systems (1)
NC State Programs Relevant to this Career
If you are interested in preparing for a career in this field, the following NC State Online and Distance Education programs offer a great place to start!
- 5G Technology Graduate Certificates
- Electrical Engineering Master's Degrees
- Engineering – 2+2 Undergraduate Degrees
All wages, job posting statistics, employment trend projections, and information about skill desirability on this page represents historical data and does not guarantee future conditions. Data is provided by and downloaded regularly from Lightcast. For more information about how Lightcast gathers data and what it represents, see Lightcast Data: Basic Overview on Lightcast's Knowledge Base website.