◆ Physics

What a lab technician
really does.

20 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.

20evidenced tasks

4,800in the US (2025)

$40,610median pay / year

7systems it runs on

See the 20 tasks ↓Open in the atlas The full career map →

This is what one task looks like here

Set or adjust machine controls according to specifications

Calibrate the centrifuge and set speed, temperature and run time to th…2 sources agree

The shape of the day

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The work, task by task

20 tasks

Hands on the work17

Set or adjust machine controls according to specifications+

Calibrate the centrifuge and set speed, temperature and run time to the protocol values on the batch sheet for lot 2379, document the changes in the equipment log, and confirm settings with Dr. Morales before starting the run this afternoon.

jdonet2 agree

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?

Create prints according to customer specifications+

Produce two color-proof prints of sample A and sample B to the customer's size and ink-density notes on order 5124, run the approved substrate through the press, inspect the first copies for registration, then pack and label the shipment for courier pickup tomorrow.

jdonet2 agree

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?

Fill tanks of processing machines with solutions+

Fill the developer and fixer tanks on press C before the morning run: mix solutions to the manufacturer's concentration, top each tank to the fill line, label with date and initials, log batch numbers in the chemical register, and run a 5-minute circulation check for leaks.

jdonet2 agree

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?

Select digital images for printing using computer software+

Select the ten best images from the implant consult shoot for printing: choose images showing occlusion, buccal and lingual views, and site close-ups, crop to print aspect, set output resolution to 300 dpi, and export as print-ready TIFFs into the lab folder.

jdonet2 agree

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?

Stun animals+

Stun the pigs in bay 2 using the head-only stunner set to 1.5 amperes, confirm immediate loss of posture, mark each carcass with blue chalk, and log time, operator initials and stunner serial in the daily welfare register before moving on.

esco

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?

Suspend animals+

Suspend the sheep on gambrel hooks in kill line 3 at 90 cm height, secure both hind legs evenly, check for normal breathing cessation within 30 seconds, record hook number and operator initials in the shift log, and flag any struggling animals for vet review.

esco

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?

Place sensitized paper in frames of projection printers, photostats, or other reproduction machines.+

Load the sensitized paper into the projection printer frames for the photostat run, align each sheet to the registration pins, check emulsion face and humidity here in the lab, and close the holders so the first test exposure can run at 09:00.

onet

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?

Produce timed prints with separate densities or color settings for each scene of a production.+

Queue the film scenes so each scene prints at its assigned start time, set the printer for the scene-specific density and color matrix, run a timed test strip for scene one, then repeat and document adjustments for the rest of the production.

onet

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?

Grow the practice2

Watch and assess1

What the work runs on

named inside the evidenced tasks

8 tasksMicrosoft Excelstore and reference batch specifications and record calibration values for traceabilityOpen its task library →

5 tasksAdobe Photoshopprepare and proof raster images and color density settings for print jobs

5 tasksMicrosoft Officeprepare and store the suspension checklist and incident notes within standard operating documents

1 taskAdobe Illustratoradjust vector artwork and layout for correct sizing and cutting

1 taskAmazon Web Services AWSstore and serve image files reliably for customer galleries and generate shareable links

1 taskMicrosoft Outlooksend customers the delivery and access emails

1 taskMicrosoft Accessstore test records tied to batch IDs and retrieve historical sensitivity data

Browse every evidenced software task →

The same task, four heights

this page is height one

ExecuteDo today's task, with fewer mistakesyou are here → ImproveMake it easy for the next person to acceptin the atlas → DecideWork out the right move when it is unclearin the atlas → BecomeLearn the pattern so it stops coming backin the atlas →

Can AI actually do this job?

the honest answer

It can

where it genuinely helps

Explain the theory behind the work
Draft, tidy and structure your writing
Rehearse a hard conversation before you have it
Build a study plan that fits your gaps

It cannot

where it stops, completely

Be in the room where a lab technician actually works
Carry the responsibility when the call is wrong — that weight stays yours
Notice what no one wrote down: the hesitation, the thing left unsaid
Live with the outcome

What the work pays

two countries, two different measures

United States

this exact occupation · BLS 2025

$40,610 a year — the middle: half earn more, half earn less
The lowest tenth earn near $30,090; the top tenth near $68,800
4,800 people employed in this occupation

India

the occupation GROUP, not this job · PLFS via ILOSTAT 2025

₹16,825 a month — the median for Craft and related trades workers, the group this work sits in
India publishes pay by broad occupation group, so this covers many jobs besides this one. It is a shape, not a salary.

read this carefullyThese two numbers are not comparable and must not be converted into each other. One is a yearly figure for this job alone; the other is a monthly figure for a whole family of jobs. What travels between them is the pattern, not the amount: experience lifts pay almost everywhere.

Where the evidence lives

open any of it yourself

O*NETThe US Department of Labor's own record of this job15 of these tasks ESCOThe European skills and occupations register5 of these tasks Job descriptionsReal postings, in the wild9 of these tasks US Bureau of Labor StatisticsPay and employment, by occupation2025 figures UK NOS SKSPI22Use dry process minilab equipment and technology to process and print national standard UK NOS GQAMP249Set and operate lithographic printing machinesnational standard

Close to this work

12 nearby

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Questions people actually ask

You might split your day between two kinds of work. One shift could be in a photo-processing area: filling tanks, setting machine controls, loading sensitized paper, developing film, reviewing digital images in Adobe Photoshop, and keeping records in Microsoft Excel or Access.

Another shift could involve animal-related tasks (stunning, suspending, controlling animals in distress) if you work in a slaughterhouse installation. Those tasks follow strict procedures and GMP (good manufacturing practice). Expect cleaning, monitoring equipment for malfunctions, and logging materials used each day.

Start with Adobe Photoshop for reviewing and selecting digital images, and Adobe Illustrator if you’ll create prints or layouts. Employers commonly expect basic Microsoft Office skills: Excel for logs and inventory, Outlook for email, and Access for simple databases.

If your employer posts images online, you may use Amazon Web Services (AWS) tools to upload files. Learn file naming, exporting high-resolution JPGs/TIFFs, and basic color correction in Photoshop.

Yes, AI can speed up routine image selection and suggest edits, but don’t rely on it for final quality checks. Use AI to batch-tag or rank images, then open candidates in Photoshop to check color, density, and detail against customer specs.

Do not use AI to alter identifying marks on animals or falsify records. Keep original files and document edits in your records (Excel or Access). Follow GMP and any company policies about automated decisions.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for 2025, about 4,800 people are employed in this occupation. Median pay is $40,610 per year; the lowest tenth earn about $30,090, and the top tenth about $68,800. Those numbers are BLS figures.

Pay varies with industry: photo labs, research labs, and slaughterhouse installations pay differently. Experience with Photoshop, lab machines, and GMP can push you toward the higher range.

Get basic lab safety and GMP training and a high school diploma or equivalent. Take short courses in Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Excel; community colleges often offer them. For animal-related roles, complete any required humane handling or slaughterhouse certification your state requires.

Apply for entry roles like photo lab assistant or production tech. On-the-job training will teach machine control, processing chemistry, threading film, and how to log work in Excel/Access. Mention any hands-on experience with film, printing, or AWS uploads.

Compared with a photo retoucher, this lab technician also handles physical processing: filling chemical tanks, mounting film, making timed prints, and operating repro machines, not just digital editing in Photoshop.

Compared with a veterinary technician, this role may include animal control and slaughterhouse tasks like stunning or suspending animals, but it is not clinical animal care. Veterinary techs focus on medical treatment; lab technicians here follow production and processing procedures and GMP.

Monitor equipment operation and detect malfunctions. That means watching machines, noticing changes in print density or color, and stopping a run when something looks wrong.

You should also be able to set or adjust machine controls to match customer specs and record processing done and materials used in Excel or Access. Those two skills keep production accurate and compliant.