What You Need to Know About Dispensing Optician
Job 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
- Maintain records of customer prescriptions, work orders, and payments.
- Arrange and maintain displays of optical merchandise.
- Sell goods such as contact lenses, spectacles, sunglasses, and other goods related to eyes in general.
- Supervise the training of student opticians.
- Instruct clients in how to wear and care for eyeglasses.
- Repair damaged frames.
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What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Dispensing Optician?
Dispensing Opticians state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
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.
Types of Dispensing Optician Jobs
- Certified Optician
- Optical Technician
- Optical Manager
- Dispensing Optician Apprentice
- Licensed Dispensing Optician (LDO)
Dispensing Optician Job Outlook
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.
What is the Average Salary of a Dispensing Optician
The average yearly salary of a Dispensing Optician ranges 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 each U.S. state?
| 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 |
What Tools & Technology do Dispensing Opticians Use?
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 to Become a Dispensing Optician
Education needed to be a Dispensing Optician:
How Long Does it Take to Become a Dispensing Optician?
Where Dispensing Opticians Are Employed
The table below shows the approximate number of Dispensing Opticians employed by various industries.
You May Also Be Interested In…
Are you already one of the many Dispensing Optician in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
Image Credit: Robert Barnett via public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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