Life As a Dispensing Optician
Career 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.
List of Dispensing Optician Job Duties
- Grind lens edges, or apply coatings to lenses.
- Fabricate lenses to meet prescription specifications.
- Prepare work orders and instructions for grinding lenses and fabricating eyeglasses.
- Perform administrative duties such as tracking inventory and sales, submitting patient insurance information, and performing simple bookkeeping.
- Assemble eyeglasses by cutting and edging lenses, and fitting the lenses into frames.
- Recommend specific lenses, lens coatings, and frames to suit client needs.
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Dispensing Optician Skills
These are the skills Dispensing Opticians say are the most useful in their careers:
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.
Other Dispensing Optician Job Titles
- Optical Manager
- Ophthalmic Dispenser
- Licensed Optical Dispenser
- Optical Dispenser
- Licensed Optician
Job Opportunities for Dispensing Opticians
In the United States, there were 77,600 jobs for Dispensing Optician in 2016. 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 different U.S. states?
| 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 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Dispensing Opticians
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?
What kind of Dispensing Optician requirements are there?
What work experience do I need to become a Dispensing Optician?
Where Dispensing Opticians Work
Dispensing Opticians work in the following industries:
Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Those who work as a Dispensing Optician sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
References:
Image Credit: Robert Barnett via public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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