A laser engineer is a professional who generally works under the supervision of a manager and is responsible for making effective operational use of the lasers as per the requirement of the organization he/she is working in. The laser engineer responsibilities mostly comprise recording, monitoring, and optimizing the performance of lasers, troubleshooting any relevant laser issues and designing and developing a program that would assist in preventive maintenance.
He/she may also be involved in training the subordinate technicians and guiding them on operating and maintaining it. Thus, he/she needs to shoulder a wide array of duties.
The laser engineer is responsible for handling a multitude of responsibilities related to designing, developing, and testing the lasers for various applications. He/she is involved in conducting laboratory tests and ensures optimizing and characterizing the new laser systems and resolving if there are any issues.
He/she is involved in preparing the technical drawings, topographical maps and ensuring that all the standards have been adhered to. He/she makes effective use of computers to perform these duties with ease. Here is a detailed description of the basic responsibilities that are carried out by this professional laser engineer:
In addition to the above responsibilities, this professional may be engaged in organizing, maintaining, developing, and updating the documentation related to lasers that may include vendor manuals, mechanical and assembly drawings, operational procedures etc.
He/she takes efforts to lead a continuous improvement program that will eventually lead to enhancing the performance, operability, and the overall performance of the lasers. He/she is responsible for generating the relevant reports on the same to gauge the operational efficiency and collaborates with the development team to develop new lasers.
This professional is also actively involved in the designing and developmental stages of new lasers. Thus, in short, he/she is responsible for assembly, testing, ensuring the quality assurance of the components involved in it, alignment of lasers, and verifying the final performance of the laser system by adhering to the safety standards and monitoring the metrics.
He/she may also be involved in designing budgets, estimating the material, construction and labor cost, and making sure that remedial solutions are being provided to issues faced by the clients. He/she carries out thorough research work to investigate the competitor's products and ensures that the products are developed as per the clients' specifications.
Before an individual takes up a career in the field of laser engineering, he/she should make sure that he/she has at least some of the following skills and abilities:
The minimum educational background to be eligible for this position is a B.Sc. in technical degree in physics, optics, or engineering. Previous work experience and working knowledge of lasers, their safety procedures, etc., would be an added advantage.
This professional should be ready and flexible to work with varying schedules that may include late night sitting or requiring him/her to work extra on the weekends, holidays, etc. He/she thus may need to work beyond the normal 40 hours of work..
The minimum remuneration that can be offered for an entry level candidate is close to $35,000, whereas the maximum can go up to $99,000 depending on the individual's skills, experience, and academic background. The average median salary is $60,000. The information given here is only a general idea provided by one of the job portals and may differ depending on the location, size and type of industry.
The individuals who have an equivalent combination of experience along with advanced educational qualification definitely have got better chances for promotion to higher positions. There are many employment opportunities available so as to stabilize and excel in this particular field.
Thus, to ensure a rewarding and a lucrative career ahead, the laser engineer responsibilities must be carried out effectively and efficiently.
See Also
Laser Applications Engineer Responsibilities