Suggested Path
Bachelor
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Scie...
CAREER
Opticians, Dispensing
Overview
Salary Median (2020)
$44,170
Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)
+4% (slower than the average)
Career
Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career
What Opticians, Dispensing Do
Design, measure, fit, and adapt lenses and frames for client according to written optical prescription or specification. Assist client with inserting, removing, and caring for contact lenses. Assist client with selecting frames. Measure customer for size of eyeglasses and coordinate frames with facial and eye measurements and optical prescription. Prepare work order for optical laboratory containing instructions for grinding and mounting lenses in frames. Verify exactness of finished lens spectacles. Adjust frame and lens position to fit client. May shape or reshape frames. Includes contact lens opticians.
Other Job Titles Opticians, Dispensing May Have
Certified Optician, Contact Lens Technician, Dispensing Optician, Licensed Dispensing Optician (LDO), Licensed Optician, Ophthalmic Dispenser, Optical Technician, Optician, Optometric Technician, Registered Optician
Tasks & Responsibilities May Include
- Measure clients' bridge and eye size, temple length, vertex distance, pupillary distance, and optical centers of eyes, using measuring devices.
- Verify that finished lenses are ground to specifications.
- Evaluate prescriptions in conjunction with clients' vocational and avocational visual requirements.
- Recommend specific lenses, lens coatings, and frames to suit client needs.
- Assist clients in selecting frames according to style and color, and ensure that frames are coordinated with facial and eye measurements and optical prescriptions.
Education
Level of Education Attained by Opticians, Dispensing
Most common level of education among people in
this career: High school diploma or equivalent (46%)
High school diploma or equivalent
Post-secondary certificate
Associate's degree
Majors Related to Career
Educational Paths Suggested by Leaders
This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
