---

Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician

A program that prepares individuals to adapt and fit corrective eyewear, including eyeglasses and contact lenses, as prescribed by ophthalmologists or optometrists; to assist patients in selecting appropriate frames; and to prepare work orders for ophthalmic laboratory technicians. Includes instruction in geometrical optics, ophthalmic optics, anatomy of the eye, optical instrumentation, use and maintenance of adjustment and cleaning tools, prescription interpretation, contact lens adaptation and fitting, prosthesis fitting, facial and eye measuring, pathology identification, record-keeping, and patient and business administrative tasks.

Types of Degrees Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician Majors Are Earning

Those studying Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	70
Associate’s Degree	224
Master’s Degree	58

What Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.9 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Sales and Marketing — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Production and Processing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Service Orientation — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Speech Recognition — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public	4.8 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.7 / 7
Selling or Influencing Others	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.5 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.5 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.2 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
HealthLine Systems Eyecom	Medical software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Insight Software My Vision Express	Medical software	—
First Insight MaximEyes	Medical software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
EMRlogic Systems ENTERPRISE Visions	Medical software	—
EZ-Zone Optizone Enterprise	Data base user interface and query software	—
Compulink Eyecare Advantage	Medical software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Cygnet Infotech Optifocus	Medical software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician graduates include:

• Ophthalmic Dispenser
• Licensed Dispensing Optician (LDO)
• Optometric Technician
• Dispensing Optician
• Licensed Optician
• Eyecare Advisor
• Dispensing and Measuring Optician
• Optician
• Contact Lens Technician
• Licensed Optical Dispenser
• Eyeglass Fitter
• Eyewear Specialist
• Certified Optician
• Optical Dispenser
• Registered Optician

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	45.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	25%
Postsecondary certificate	25%
Some college courses	4.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 76.1% of Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	268	76.1%
Men	84	23.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	137	38.9%
Asian	24	6.8%
Hispanic or Latino	120	34.1%
Black or African American	50	14.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.3%
Two or More Races	10	2.8%
Race Unknown	5	1.4%
International Students	2	0.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$34,118
4 years	$36,016
5 years	$38,680

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $38,680 — roughly 13% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician graduates earn a median of $36,016 four years after completion — about 5% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions	742
Optometric Technician/Assistant	201
Ophthalmic Technician/Technologist	148
Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions, Other	40
Orthoptics/Orthoptist	1

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.