Skip to main content

Photonics Engineer

Engineering

Design technologies specializing in light information or light energy, such as laser or fiber optics technology.

Electrical EngineeringScience

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Analyze system performance or operational requirements.
  2. 2Develop optical or imaging systems, such as optical imaging products, optical components, image processes, signal process technologies, or optical systems.
  3. 3Develop or test photonic prototypes or models.
  4. 4Design, integrate, or test photonics systems or components.
  5. 5Assist in the transition of photonic prototypes to production.
  6. 6Read current literature, talk with colleagues, continue education, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in the field.
  7. 7Write reports or proposals related to photonics research or development projects.
  8. 8Conduct testing to determine functionality or optimization or to establish limits of photonics systems or components.
  9. 9Determine applications of photonics appropriate to meet product objectives or features.
  10. 10Conduct research on new photonics technologies.
  11. 11Design electro-optical sensing or imaging systems.
  12. 12Document photonics system or component design processes, including objectives, issues, or outcomes.
  13. 13Train operators, engineers, or other personnel.
  14. 14Design photonics products, such as light sources, displays, or photovoltaics, to achieve increased energy efficiency.
  15. 15Analyze, fabricate, or test fiber-optic links.
  16. 16Design gas lasers, solid state lasers, infrared, or other light emitting or light sensitive devices.
  17. 17Create or maintain photonic design histories.
  18. 18Oversee or provide expertise on manufacturing, assembly, or fabrication processes.
  19. 19Determine commercial, industrial, scientific, or other uses for electro-optical applications or devices.
  20. 20Design solar energy photonics or other materials or devices to generate energy.
  21. 21Design or redesign optical fibers to minimize energy loss.
  22. 22Develop photonics sensing or manufacturing technologies to improve the efficiency of manufacturing or related processes.
  23. 23Develop laser-processed designs, such as laser-cut medical devices.
  24. 24Design or develop new crystals for photonics applications.
  25. 25Design laser machining equipment for purposes such as high-speed ablation.
  26. 26Select, purchase, set up, operate, or troubleshoot state-of-the-art laser cutting equipment.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Engineer
  • Laser Engineer
  • Optics Engineer
  • Display Engineer
  • Optical Engineer
  • R and D Engineer
  • Research Engineer
  • Optical Specialist
  • Photonics Engineer
  • Algorithm Developer

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. Typical entry

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationBachelor's degree

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

PhysicsDraws directly on Engineering and Technology — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Additional MathematicsDraws directly on Engineering and Technology — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Design & Technology (RBT)Draws directly on Engineering and Technology — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
InventionDraws directly on Engineering and Technology — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
MathematicsDraws directly on Mathematics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Engineering and Technology97%

    PhysicsAdditional MathematicsDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Physics91%

    Physics

  • Mathematics91%

    Additional MathematicsMathematics

  • Computers and Electronics85%

    Computer Science / ICTElectrical & Electronic Eng. Studies

  • Design79%

    Visual Art (PSV)Technical Comm. GraphicsEngineering Drawing

  • English Language67%

    English

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleContact most of the time
  • Dealing with customers or the publicHigh
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherRarely
  • Time spent standingA little
  • Time walking or movingA little
  • Hands-on work with tools or objectsA little

Where this job is heading

Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.

  • Analyze meteorological data.
  • Design electrical interconnections.
  • Design wind turbine components.
  • Estimate energy production by analyzing wind data.

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

13%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

0.12%

Of Malaysian Claude conversations, about this kind of work

Measures how much people use Claude for this work, not how many Malaysians do this job — and more AI use can mean people relying on it, not that it's replacing them.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: Renewable Energy Engineer

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Matriculation

One or two years, heavily subsidised with allowance. Competitive, quota-based entry.

12–24 months

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

Diploma

Skill-first qualification. Work after, or enter degree Year 2. Polytechnics keep it affordable.

2.5–3 years

TVET

Hands-on trades with strong employability: ILP, ADTEC, kolej vokasional, GiatMARA.

1–3 years

Related careers

If this interests you, these are worth a look too.

About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Photonics Engineers

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org