Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician

Types of Degrees Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many opticianry/ophthalmic dispensing optician graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Associate Degree	269
Undergraduate Certificate	97
Basic Certificate	79

What Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to opticianry/ophthalmic dispensing optician and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Opticianry/Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician Majors

Opticianry/Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Skills for Opticianry/Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician Majors

opticianry/ophthalmic dispensing optician majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• 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.

Abilities for Opticianry/Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician Majors

A major in opticianry/ophthalmic dispensing optician will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with opticianry/ophthalmic dispensing optician:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Opticians, Dispensing	15.1%	$37,010

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician?

The major attracts more women than men. About 74% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of opticianry/ophthalmic dispensing optician majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	18
Black or African American	39
Hispanic or Latino	86
White	96
International Students	4
Other Races/Ethnicities	26

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Opticianry/Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician. About 1.5% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

The median salary for someone in a career related to opticianry/ophthalmic dispensing optician is $39,930. This median refers to all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician

Some careers associated with opticianry/ophthalmic dispensing optician require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to opticianry/ophthalmic dispensing optician have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	3.7%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	22.5%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	26.2%
Some College Courses	3.7%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	41.2%

Online Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	6	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	3	0
Associate’s Degree	27	1
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	0	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician Worth It?

The median salary for a opticianry/ophthalmic dispensing optician grad is $39,930 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 0% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $600 after 20 years!

Trades Related to Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to opticianry/ophthalmic dispensing optician.

Major	Number of Grads
Ophthalmic Technician/Technologist	196
Optometric Technician/Assistant	154
Other Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions	22
Orthoptics/Orthoptist	0

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.