Opticians, Dispensing

Overview

Opticians, Dispensing has a national median salary of $47,260 per year, with +4.2% projected job growth from 2025–2035. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation.

Description

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.

Work Values

• Independence
• Relationships
• Support

Work Styles

Responsibilities

Tasks

• 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.

Work Activities

• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
• Documenting/Recording Information
• Selling or Influencing Others
• Getting Information
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
• Working with Computers
• Assisting and Caring for Others
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships

Detailed Work Activities

• Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
• Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
• Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

T-A-S-K

Technology, Abilities, Skills & Knowledge

Education

Education Levels of Current Workers

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation. The chart below shows the highest level of education held by people already working in this field, ages 25 and older. It includes workers who earned more education than the job requires and workers who entered the field under earlier requirements, so the largest bar is not the entry requirement. For example, if someone finished a bachelor's degree and then started working in this field, they are counted under “Bachelor's degree” here, but the job itself typically asks for a high school diploma or equivalent.

Certificates

Certifications applicable to Opticians, Dispensing:

Video Resources