Optics and photonics job description: template and real figures
A template for hiring an optics and photonics, with what employers in today’s 172 open postings for this work ask for and offer. Copy it, fill in the brackets, then post the job free.
- Open postings today
- 172
- Experience asked, median
- 3 years
- Postings that state pay
- 73%
- Median advertised pay
- $168K
- Open to remote work
- 2%
Optical Engineer [Company] · [City, or Remote and the countries it is open to] · [Full-time] About us [Two sentences: what the company does, for whom, and one number that shows where it is now.] About the role Our Optical Engineer designs lenses, lasers and light sensors for cameras, satellites and chips. You will report to [manager’s title] and work with [team]. What you will do - [The most important result of the first year, with a number] - Optical design: [what this means in your team] - Alignment: [what this means in your team] - Laser systems: [what this means in your team] - Optical testing: [what this means in your team] - [One more duty that is specific to this job] What we are looking for - [3]+ years of experience as an optics and photonics - [One or two must-haves that are specific to this job] Pay and benefits - Pay range: $[lowest] – $[highest] a year, [plus equity or bonus if any] - Equity - Parental leave - Unlimited PTO - [Paid time off, health cover and the rest of your benefits] How to apply [What to send, the interview steps and how long they take. Name the date you will reply by.]
What today’s optics and photonics postings say
| Experience asked | Median 3 years; the middle half ask 2–5 years (105 postings name a number) |
|---|---|
| Pay advertised | $140K – $200K for the middle half; median $168K (118 postings with a yearly US-dollar range) |
| Benefits named most | Equity (36%), Parental leave (33%), Unlimited PTO (5%) |
| Most common level | Senior (25% of postings) |
| Titles employers use | Senior Optical Engineer, Electro-Optic Link Hardware Engineer, Photonics Engineer, Laser Tracker Toolmaker (Starship Launch Hardware), Principal Optical Engineer, Optical Systems Engineer |
Counted from the 172 open postings for this work on Nov 14, 2026, read from employers’ own careers pages. Recounted on every update.
Questions about hiring an optics and photonics
- What should an optics and photonics job description include?
- What the person will achieve in the first year, the duties, the must-have experience, the pay range and how the hiring steps work. Use the words candidates search for, not internal team names.
- Should an optics and photonics job posting show the salary?
- Yes, if you can: 73% of today’s 172 open optics and photonics postings here do. A range filters out people who would turn the offer down, and several US states and EU countries now require it.
- How many years of experience should I ask for?
- The median in today’s optics and photonics postings is 3 years. Ask for what the work needs: every extra year you require shrinks the pool of applicants.
Everything about optics and photonics work
See also: 172 open optics and photonics jobs · optics and photonics pay · how to hire an optics and photonics · all job description templates