Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

Optical Engineering Map

In Oregon alone, there are more than 80 companies that employ engineers that use light and optics. Some insight into the demand can be gleaned from a 2012 survey commissioned by the National Center for Optics and Photonics Education (OP-TEC). This survey of the job market for 2-year optoelectronics positions and found that there are roughly 300 graduates and around 1,500 jobs. Of course, you'll be getting a BS in EE or EET and these technician jobs won't be for you. However, you cannot have optoelectronics technician without a few optical engineers engineers around! Moreover, there are just not a lot of schools graduating optical engineers. For example, the major optics schools ( Rochester, Arizona, and Florida) graduate optical engineers who are excellent and often wind up getting advanced graduate degrees.

Odds and Ends

Optoelectronics Map2

  1. SPIE
  2. OSA
  3. OP-TEC