Life As a Dispensing Optician
Job Description & Duties 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.
List of Dispensing Optician Job Duties
- Prepare work orders and instructions for grinding lenses and fabricating eyeglasses.
- Evaluate prescriptions in conjunction with clients’ vocational and avocational visual requirements.
- Grind lens edges, or apply coatings to lenses.
- Sell goods such as contact lenses, spectacles, sunglasses, and other goods related to eyes in general.
- Order and purchase frames and lenses.
- Show customers how to insert, remove, and care for their contact lenses.
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Dispensing Optician Needed Skills
Below is a list of the skills most Dispensing Opticians say are important on the job.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Related Job Titles
- Optical Manager
- Dispensing Optician Apprentice
- Licensed Optical Dispenser
- Dispensing Optician
- Eyeglass Fitter
Is There Job Demand for Dispensing Opticians?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 77,600 jobs in the United States for Dispensing Optician. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 15.1% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 11,700 new jobs for Dispensing Optician by 2026. There will be an estimated 7,000 positions for Dispensing Optician per year.
The states with the most job growth for Dispensing Optician are Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Kansas, or Rhode Island. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Average Dispensing Opticians Salary
The typical yearly salary for Dispensing Opticians is somewhere between $24,670 and $60,030.
Dispensing Opticians who work in New Jersey, Massachusetts, or New York, make the highest salaries.
How much do Dispensing Opticians make in each U.S. state?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $32,660 |
| Alaska | $45,500 |
| Arizona | $37,990 |
| Arkansas | $36,940 |
| California | $42,760 |
| Colorado | $39,510 |
| Connecticut | $52,980 |
| Delaware | $36,770 |
| District of Columbia | $46,230 |
| Florida | $40,290 |
| Georgia | $36,330 |
| Hawaii | $44,780 |
| Idaho | $32,130 |
| Illinois | $37,360 |
| Indiana | $30,720 |
| Iowa | $33,560 |
| Kansas | $30,770 |
| Kentucky | $40,340 |
| Louisiana | $32,310 |
| Maine | $37,690 |
| Maryland | $44,290 |
| Massachusetts | $60,240 |
| Michigan | $35,910 |
| Minnesota | $39,510 |
| Mississippi | $31,990 |
| Missouri | $39,170 |
| Montana | $33,050 |
| Nebraska | $35,290 |
| Nevada | $40,520 |
| New Hampshire | $41,540 |
| New Jersey | $56,780 |
| New Mexico | $32,160 |
| New York | $54,730 |
| North Carolina | $42,200 |
| North Dakota | $33,900 |
| Ohio | $40,480 |
| Oklahoma | $31,770 |
| Oregon | $42,660 |
| Pennsylvania | $36,300 |
| Rhode Island | $46,660 |
| South Carolina | $37,910 |
| South Dakota | $30,490 |
| Tennessee | $37,720 |
| Texas | $34,690 |
| Utah | $30,750 |
| Vermont | $46,360 |
| Virginia | $46,700 |
| Washington | $44,750 |
| West Virginia | $32,640 |
| Wisconsin | $35,460 |
| Wyoming | $30,840 |
What Tools & Technology do Dispensing Opticians Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Dispensing Opticians:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Intuit QuickBooks
- Point of sale POS software
- First Insight MaximEyes
- HealthLine Systems Eyecom
- Insight Software My Vision Express
- OfficeMate Software Solutions OfficeMate
How do I Become a Dispensing Optician?
Education needed to be a Dispensing Optician:
How many years of work experience do I need?
Dispensing Opticians Sector
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Career changers with experience as a Dispensing Optician sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
Image Credit: Robert Barnett via public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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