Career Overview
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.
Also Known As
- Dispensing Optician
- Licensed Dispensing Optician (LDO)
- Licensed Optician
- Optician
Alternate Job Titles
- Certified Optician
- Contact Lens Fitter
- Contact Lens Technician
- Dispensing and Measuring Optician
- Dispensing Optician
- Eyecare Advisor
- Eyeglass Fitter
- Eyewear Specialist
- Licensed Dispensing Optician (LDO)
- Licensed Optical Dispenser
- Licensed Optician
- Ophthalmic Dispenser
- Optical Dispenser
- Optical Sales Associate
- Optical Technician
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- 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.
- Heat, shape, or bend plastic or metal frames to adjust eyeglasses to fit clients, using pliers and hands.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Customer and Personal Service
- Sales and Marketing
- Mathematics
- Production and Processing
- Administrative
- English Language
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Near Vision
- Written Comprehension
- Speech Recognition
- Speech Clarity
- Problem Sensitivity
- Deductive Reasoning
- Written Expression
- Information Ordering
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Cooperation
- Social Orientation
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Independence
- Relationships
- Support
- Working Conditions
- Achievement
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
On-the-Job Training: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
Education Details: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Experience Required: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Intuit QuickBooks
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Word
Tools & Equipment
- Angling pliers
- Autorefractors
- Bracing pliers
- Bushing pullers
- Cash registers
- Chain nose pliers
- Cold-bend pliers
- Contact lens thickness gauges
- Contact lens tweezers
- Credit card processing machines
- Desktop computers
- Dial calipers
- Digital calipers
- Digital pupilometers
- End piece pliers
Work Environment
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Telephone Conversations
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Contact With Others
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $34,470 |
| Median | $46,560 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $73,240 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 79,690
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $38,420
Optometrists
Education: Doctoral Degree
Median Salary: $134,830
Ophthalmic Medical Technicians
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $44,080
Ophthalmic Medical Technologists
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $48,790
Endoscopy Technicians
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $46,050
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.