Opticians

Summary

What Opticians Do About this section

Opticians advise customers on styles of eyewear that suit their needs.

Opticians fit customers for eyeglasses and contact lenses and help them select which frames and lenses to buy.

Duties

Opticians typically do the following:

• Receive customers’ prescriptions for eyeglasses or contact lenses
• Measure customers’ eyes and faces, such as the distance between their pupils
• Help customers choose eyeglass frames and lens treatments that best fit their vision needs and lifestyle
• Create work orders for the optical laboratory
• Adjust, repair, and replace eyewear
• Assist customers with inserting and removing contact lenses
• Educate customers about caring for eyewear

Opticians review prescriptions that customers receive from optometrists and ophthalmologists. These prescriptions have information about the eyeglasses and contact lenses customers need. Opticians also help customers select eyewear based on the customer’s prescription, lifestyle, and other factors.

The optician measures the customer’s face and head using a variety of computerized or manual tools, such as a pupillary distance ruler, to ensure the eyewear will fit properly. After finalizing a customer’s selections, the optician creates a work order for an ophthalmic laboratory technician. Work orders provide specifications on how lenses need to be cut and fabricated. Some opticians cut lenses and insert the lenses into frames themselves.

Opticians also assist customers with details related to the finished product, such as adjusting eyeglasses for precise fit and ensuring proper insertion or removal of contact lenses. Other duties may include setting up, organizing, and cleaning product displays.

In addition, opticians often have administrative tasks, such as maintaining sales records, interpreting customers’ prescriptions, preparing invoices, and ordering and maintaining inventory. 

Work Environment About this section

Opticians may work in retail stores that sell eyeglasses and other optical goods.

Opticians held about 77,300 jobs in 2023. The largest employers of opticians were as follows:

Many opticians work in office settings, such as those of optometrists and ophthalmologists. Others work in retail stores that sell eyeglasses, contact lenses, visual aids, and related optical goods. These retail stores may be independent businesses or parts of larger retail establishments, such as department stores.

Work Schedules

Most opticians work full time, but part-time work is common. They may work evenings and weekends.

How to Become an Optician About this section

Opticians learn to adjust eyeglass frames during training.

Opticians typically need a high school diploma or the equivalent and receive on-the-job training. Some states require opticians to be licensed, which may include completing an associate’s degree or a certificate in ophthalmic dispensing or a related field.

Education and Training

Opticians typically need at least a high school diploma to enter the occupation. High school students interested in becoming an optician should take classes in math and sciences.

Some opticians complete a postsecondary education program at a community college or technical school. These programs award a 2-year associate’s degree or a 1-year certificate. A list of accredited programs is available from the Commission on Opticianry Accreditation.

Education programs typically include both classroom instruction and clinical experience. Coursework includes topics such as optics, eye physiology, and lens dispensing. Clinical work, which is supervised by an optician, provides students with hands-on experience assisting customers.

Opticians who do not complete a postsecondary education program may enter the occupation through an apprenticeship or on-the-job training. Under the supervision of an experienced optician, apprentices and trainees learn skills such as measuring the distance between a customer’s pupils and adjusting frames.

The National Academy of Opticianry offers the Ophthalmic Career Progression Program (OCPP), a program designed for workers who are already employed in the optical field. Participants complete a series of tests that prepare them for certifications or state licensure exams.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Some states require opticians to be licensed. In addition to passing one or more exams, licensure usually requires completing an approved educational program or completing an apprenticeship or other supervised work experience. For more information, contact the opticianry licensing board in your state.

Employers may require or prefer to hire candidates who have certification in eyeglass dispensing and contact lens dispensing offered by the American Board of Opticianry (ABO) and National Contact Lens Examiners (NCLE). Both specialties require passing a separate examination. Many state licensing boards require a passing score on the ABO and NCLE exams for licensure. Other states require opticians to pass state-specific examinations.

Maintaining ABO-NCLE certification requires completing a specified number of continuing education credits. Some states require continuing education to maintain licensure.

Important Qualities

Business skills. Opticians may be responsible for operating an optical store. They should have some knowledge of sales and inventory management.

Communication skills. Opticians must be able to clearly explain options for frames and lenses. They also need to provide instruction about caring for eyewear in ways that customers understand.

Customer-service skills. Opticians must be knowledgeable about the products they sell. When interacting with customers, they should be friendly, patient, and helpful.

Decision-making skills. Opticians must decide which materials and designs are most appropriate for each customer’s preferences and lifestyle. They also determine what adjustments, if any, need to be made to eyeglasses and lenses.

Detail oriented. Opticians must be precise when taking customers’ measurements and recording lens type, product number, and other information for work orders. They also must maintain customer files in an orderly manner.

Dexterity. Opticians frequently use special tools, such as pliers and pupilometers, to adjust and repair eyeglasses. They must have good hand-eye coordination to work accurately.

Pay About this section

The median annual wage for opticians was $44,170 in May 2023. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $31,560, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $69,900.

In May 2023, the median annual wages for opticians in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

Most opticians work full time, but part-time work is common. They may work evenings and weekends.

Job Outlook About this section

Employment of opticians is projected to grow 3 percent from 2023 to 2033, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

About 7,400 openings for opticians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Employment

Greater demand for eye-care services is expected because of growth in the number of older people, who usually have more eye problems than younger people.

Increasing rates of chronic diseases also may increase demand for opticianry services because some diseases, such as diabetes, cause vision problems. In addition, opticians will be needed to fill prescriptions for corrective eyewear for people who have eye refraction problems such as myopia and astigmatism.

However, growing consumer interest in purchasing eyewear online may temper employment demand somewhat.

State & Area Data About this section

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)

The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link(s) below go to OEWS data maps for employment and wages by state and area.

• Opticians, dispensing

Projections Central

Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information (LMI) or individual state Employment Projections offices. All state projections data are available at www.projectionscentral.org. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each state’s websites where these data may be retrieved.

CareerOneStop

CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code.

Contacts for More Information About this section

For more information about opticians, including certifications and a list of state licensing boards for opticians, visit

American Board of Opticianry and National Contact Lens Examiners

For a list of accredited programs, visit

Commission on Opticianry Accreditation

For more information about opticians, visit

National Academy of Opticianry

O*NET

Opticians, Dispensing