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Opticians, Dispensing in Florida

Thinking about a career as an Opticians, Dispensing in Florida? Below are the key facts. 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.

$56,920 Median Annual Wage (Florida)

$127,783 National Median Annual Wage

5,030 Florida Employment

Medium Preparation Needed Typical Preparation

What do Opticians, Dispensing Make in Florida?

For a opticians, dispensing working in Florida, wages run about $56,920 per year (or roughly $27.37/hour).Pay can range from $38,230 at the 10th percentile to $72,870 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$38,230	$18.38
25th percentile	$45,510	$21.88
Median (50th)	$56,920	$27.37
75th percentile	$63,700	$30.62
90th percentile	$72,870	$35.04

Salary ranges for Opticians, Dispensing in Florida

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in Florida compared to the national average — is 0.99.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, opticians, dispensing earn a median of $127,783 per year ($61.43/hour), below the Florida median.

Employment Outlook

Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 1,141,586 opticians, dispensing across the United States. In Florida alone, around 5,030 people work in this role. That puts the state above the typical state, which employs around 1,000 opticians, dispensing.

Forecasted number of jobs for Opticians, Dispensing

Top Florida Metros for Opticians, Dispensing

The largest metro-area employers of opticians, dispensing in Florida.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	1,100	$52,610
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	1,090	$62,070
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	850	$56,280
Jacksonville, FL	380	$47,600
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL	190	$61,760
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL	180	$57,520
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL	160	$46,410
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL	100	$59,410
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL	100	$61,100
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL	100	$56,880
Port St. Lucie, FL	100	$57,300
Ocala, FL	90	$55,940
Naples-Marco Island, FL	70	$64,710
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL	60	$59,850
Punta Gorda, FL	60	$60,910
Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL	50	$47,540
Gainesville, FL	40	$59,970
Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL	40	$57,900
Tallahassee, FL	40	$58,150
Wildwood-The Villages, FL	40	$46,410

Top States for Opticians, Dispensing Employment

The table below shows the states where the most opticians, dispensing work.

State	Number Employed
California	8,180
Texas	7,100
New York	5,180
Florida	5,030
Illinois	3,660
Michigan	3,220
Ohio	3,190
Pennsylvania	2,750
Georgia	2,580
Virginia	2,500
New Jersey	2,260
Washington	2,000
Indiana	1,900
North Carolina	1,890
Arizona	1,670
Tennessee	1,640
Minnesota	1,630
Missouri	1,610
Wisconsin	1,530
Colorado	1,510

Highest-Paying States for Opticians, Dispensing

These states pay the most for opticians, dispensing.

State	Annual Median Salary
New Jersey	$66,250
Connecticut	$64,780
Massachusetts	$63,810
New York	$60,100
District of Columbia	$59,110
California	$57,770
Vermont	$57,500
Florida	$56,920
Alaska	$56,260
Hawaii	$56,090

Skills

Key opticians, dispensing skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Speaking 4.0 / 5

Active Listening 3.9 / 5

Reading Comprehension 3.8 / 5

Service Orientation 3.5 / 5

Critical Thinking 3.5 / 5

Coordination 3.2 / 5

Knowledge Areas

Key knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Customer and Personal Service 4.9 / 5

Sales and Marketing 4.2 / 5

Mathematics 3.9 / 5

Production and Processing 3.8 / 5

Administrative 3.8 / 5

English Language 3.7 / 5

Abilities

The abilities that matter most for opticians, dispensing, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Oral Comprehension 4.0 / 5

Oral Expression 4.0 / 5

Near Vision 3.9 / 5

Speech Clarity 3.8 / 5

Written Comprehension 3.8 / 5

Speech Recognition 3.8 / 5

Daily Tasks

Opticians, Dispensing typically:

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.
Maintain records of customer prescriptions, work orders, and payments.
Heat, shape, or bend plastic or metal frames to adjust eyeglasses to fit clients, using pliers and hands.
Show customers how to insert, remove, and care for their contact lenses.
Determine clients' current lens prescriptions, when necessary, using lensometers or lens analyzers and clients' eyeglasses.
Prepare work orders and instructions for grinding lenses and fabricating eyeglasses.
Obtain a customer's previous record, or verify a prescription with the examining optometrist or ophthalmologist.
Sell goods such as contact lenses, spectacles, sunglasses, and goods related to eyes, in general.

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
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
Assisting and Caring for Others
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
Performing Administrative Activities

Tools & Technology

Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: Intuit QuickBooks

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Related college programs include:

Optometric Support Services

Careers similar to opticians, dispensing include:

Also Known As

Certified Optician, Contact Lens Fitter, Contact Lens Technician, Dispensing Optician, Dispensing and Measuring Optician, Eyecare Advisor, Eyeglass Fitter, Eyewear Specialist, Licensed Dispensing Optician (LDO), Licensed Optical Dispenser, Licensed Optician, Ophthalmic Dispenser, Optical Dispenser, Optical Sales Associate, Optical Technician.

References

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
O*NET-SOC code: 29-2081.00

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