Photonics Engineers
Science, Technology, Engineering and MathematicsO*NET 17-2199.07United States
Design technologies specializing in light information or light energy, such as laser or fiber optics technology.
- Median annual earnings
- $122,888
- Projected change
- +5.4%
- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Employment
- 176.9K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
52.4% of the workforce
Growing to 186.44K by 2035
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These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What photonics engineers do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Analyze system performance or operational requirements.
- Develop optical or imaging systems, such as optical imaging products, optical components, image processes, signal process technologies, or optical systems.
- Develop or test photonic prototypes or models.
- Design, integrate, or test photonics systems or components.
- Assist in the transition of photonic prototypes to production.
- Read current literature, talk with colleagues, continue education, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in the field.
- Write reports or proposals related to photonics research or development projects.
- Conduct testing to determine functionality or optimization or to establish limits of photonics systems or components.
- Conduct research on new photonics technologies.
- Determine applications of photonics appropriate to meet product objectives or features.
- Design electro-optical sensing or imaging systems.
- Document photonics system or component design processes, including objectives, issues, or outcomes.
- Train operators, engineers, or other personnel.
- Design photonics products, such as light sources, displays, or photovoltaics, to achieve increased energy efficiency.
- Analyze, fabricate, or test fiber-optic links.
- Design gas lasers, solid state lasers, infrared, or other light emitting or light sensitive devices.
- Create or maintain photonic design histories.
- Oversee or provide expertise on manufacturing, assembly, or fabrication processes.
- Determine commercial, industrial, scientific, or other uses for electro-optical applications or devices.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $63,794
- 25th percentile
- $88,633
- 50th percentile
- $122,888
- 75th percentile
- $165,733
- 90th percentile
- $204,289
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $122,888 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+5.4%average or slower
2025176,896 jobs
2035 projected186,435 jobs
9,539 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Bachelor's degree
- 52.4%
- Master's or Professional degree
- 38.1%
- Associate degree
- 4.8%
- Doctoral degree or more
- 4.8%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Technology Design
- Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.
- Operations Analysis
- Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Optical Engineers537 postings
- 02Electro-Optical Engineers275 postings
- 03Opto-Mechanical Engineers229 postings
- 04Principal Engineers160 postings
- 05Optical Systems Engineers147 postings
- 06Engineers106 postings
- 07Optical Test Engineers96 postings
- 08Photonics Engineers66 postings
- 09Technical Leads60 postings
- 10Process Engineers55 postings
- 11Metrology Engineers53 postings
- 12Laser Engineers50 postings
- 13Engineering Technicians47 postings
- 14Optical Scientists46 postings
- 15Optical Manufacturing Engineers44 postings
- 16Optics Engineers43 postings
- 17Systems Engineers40 postings
- 18Display Engineers38 postings
- 19Staff Optical Engineers38 postings
- 20Space Systems Engineers32 postings
Top employers
- 01L3Harris Technologies319 postings
- 02Lockheed Martin117 postings
- 03Apple115 postings
- 04Molex89 postings
- 05Northrop Grumman74 postings
- 06Nokia73 postings
- 07Corning70 postings
- 08General Atomics66 postings
- 09Blue Origin65 postings
- 10RTX61 postings
- 11Fidelis Companies60 postings
- 12BAE Systems56 postings
- 13Coherent54 postings
- 14Actalent53 postings
- 15Boeing47 postings
- 16Anduril Industries46 postings
- 17Meta41 postings
- 18Quantinuum40 postings
- 19KLA Corporation38 postings
- 20Amazon33 postings
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