Opticians, Dispensing
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.
Opticians, Dispensing earn a median of $22.72/hr — about $47,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $17.12/hr; the top 10% earn $36.90/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- 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.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
The feel of the work
The work is mostly indoors; you're around people constantly; it rewards working independently; precision matters — small details carry weight. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 0% of opticians, dispensing are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are organized and detail-focused, hands-on and take-charge.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
- Surgical Technologists
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Workers, All Other
- Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars
- Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians
- Dietitians and Nutritionists
Quick questions
- How much does a opticians, dispensing make?
- The median pay is $22.72 per hour — roughly $47,500 a year, with the real range running from about $17.12/hr (10th percentile) to $36.90/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a opticians, dispensing?
- The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
- What does a opticians, dispensing actually do all day?
- 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.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.