Takeover Tracker
40%medium risk
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians
vs

52 shared · 9 different

core competencies

39%medium risk
Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricOphthalmic Laboratory TechniciansTool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners
Risk Score39.7%38.5%
Risk TierMedium RiskMedium Risk
Risk Percentile80th77th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)6 / 158 / 15
Median Salary$38,420$48,970
Employment19K6K

Skill Comparison

|

Sorted by largest difference

Controlling Machines and Processes
Performing General Physical Activities
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material
Handling and Moving Objects
Equipment MaintenanceAI-Resistant
Production and Processing
Operation Monitoring
Hearing Sensitivity

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians

25%

total discount

Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners

27%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians

6 of 15 at risk
86%Select lens blanks, molds, tools, and polishing or grinding wheels, according to production specifications.
85%Inspect, weigh, and measure mounted or unmounted lenses after completion to verify alignment and conformance to specifications, using precision instruments.
85%Examine prescriptions, work orders, or broken or used eyeglasses to determine specifications for lenses, contact lenses, or other optical elements.
67%Inspect lens blanks to detect flaws, verify smoothness of surface, and ensure thickness of coating on lenses.
53%Position and adjust cutting tools to specified curvature, dimensions, and depth of cut.

Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners

8 of 15 at risk
84%Study blueprints or layouts of metal workpieces to determine grinding procedures, and to plan machine setups and operational sequences.
78%Compute numbers, widths, and angles of cutting tools, micrometers, scales, and gauges, and adjust tools to produce specified cuts.
76%Inspect dies to detect defects, assess wear, and verify specifications, using micrometers, steel gauge pins, and loupes.
61%Monitor machine operations to determine whether adjustments are necessary, stopping machines when problems occur.
59%Remove finished workpieces from machines and place them in boxes or on racks, setting aside pieces that are defective.

Wage Comparison

Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners earns +$10,550(+27%) vs Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians
Ophthalmic Laboratory TechniciansTool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners
10th
$31,250$33,770
25th
$35,580$39,520
Median
$38,420$48,970
75th
$45,410$60,210
90th
$55,480$74,120

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians2028–2035
Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners2028–2035
20242030203520402045

Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

Salary weighted by displacement risk: salary × (1 − risk%)

Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians

$23,152

from $38,420

Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners

$30,097

from $48,970

After adjusting for AI risk, Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners offers $6,945 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

1%

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

0

Unique to Ophthalmic

0

Unique to Tool

Combined Protection Strategy

Regardless of which path you choose, focus on these protective factors

Fine Manipulation
Creativity
Regulatory Barriers
Decision Complexity
Ophthalmic Laboratory TechniciansTool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners
Find transitions from Ophthalmic Laboratory TechniciansFind transitions from Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners