Opticians, Dispensing

• An optician can receive training on-the-job or through apprenticeships lasting 2 or more years; 22 States require a license.
• Projected employment growth reflects steadfast demand for corrective lenses and trends in fashion.
• The number of job openings will be relatively small because the occupation is small.

Dispensing opticians fit eyeglasses and contact lenses, following prescriptions written by ophthalmologists or optometrists. (The work of optometrists is described in a statement elsewhere in the Handbook. See the statement on physicians and surgeons for information about ophthalmologists.)

Dispensing opticians examine written prescriptions to determine lens specifications. They recommend eyeglass frames, lenses, and lens coatings after considering the prescription and the customer's occupation, habits, and facial features. Dispensing opticians measure clients' eyes, including the distance between the centers of the pupils and the distance between the eye surface and the lens. For customers without prescriptions, dispensing opticians may use a lensometer to record the present eyeglass prescription.

Dispensing opticians prepare work orders that give ophthalmic laboratory technicians information needed to grind and insert lenses into a frame. The work order includes lens prescriptions and information on lens size, material, color, and style. Some dispensing opticians grind and insert lenses themselves. After the glasses are made, dispensing opticians verify that the lenses have been ground to specifications. Then they may reshape or bend the frame, by hand or using pliers, so that the eyeglasses fit the customer properly and comfortably. Some also fix, adjust, and refit broken frames.

Some dispensing opticians specialize in fitting contacts, artificial eyes, or cosmetic shells to cover blemished eyes. To fit contact lenses, dispensing opticians measure eye shape and size, select the type of contact lens material, and prepare work orders specifying the prescription and lens size. Fitting contact lenses requires considerable skill, care, and patience. Dispensing opticians observe customers' eyes, corneas, lids, and contact lenses with special instruments and microscopes.

Dispensing opticians keep records on customer prescriptions, work orders, and payments; track inventory and sales; and perform other administrative duties.

Working Conditions		Back to Top

Dispensing opticians work indoors in attractive, well-lighted, and well-ventilated surroundings. They may work in medical offices or small stores where customers are served one at a time, or in large stores where several dispensing opticians serve a number of customers at once. Opticians spend a lot of time on their feet. If they prepare lenses, they need to take precautions against the hazards associated with glass cutting, chemicals, and machinery.

Most dispensing opticians work a 40-hour week, although some work longer hours.

Employment		Back to Top

Dispensing opticians held about 68,000 jobs in 2000. Almost half worked for ophthalmologists or optometrists who sell glasses directly to patients. Many also work in retail optical stores that offer one-stop shopping. Customers may have their eyes examined, choose frames, and have glasses made on the spot.

Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement		Back to Top

Employers usually hire individuals with no background in opticianry or those who have worked as ophthalmic laboratory technicians and then provide the required training. (See the statement on ophthalmic laboratory technicians elsewhere in the Handbook.) Most dispensing opticians receive training on-the-job or through apprenticeships lasting 2 or more years. Some employers, however, seek people with postsecondary training in opticianry.

Knowledge of physics, basic anatomy, algebra, geometry, and mechanical drawing is particularly valuable because training usually includes instruction in optical mathematics, optical physics, and the use of precision measuring instruments and other machinery and tools. Dispensing opticians deal directly with the public, so they should be tactful, pleasant, and communicate well.

Large employers usually offer structured apprenticeship programs, and small employers provide more informal on-the-job training. In the 22 States that require dispensing opticians to be licensed, individuals without postsecondary training work from 2 to 4 years as apprentices.

Apprentices receive technical training and learn office management and sales. Under the supervision of an experienced optician, optometrist, or ophthalmologist, apprentices work directly with patients, fitting eyeglasses and contact lenses.

Formal opticianry training is offered in community colleges and a few colleges and universities. In 2000, the Commission on Opticianry Accreditation accredited 25 programs that awarded 2-year associate degrees in opticianry. There also are shorter programs of 1 year or less. Some States that offer a license to dispensing opticians allow graduates to take the licensure exam immediately upon graduation; others require a few months to a year of experience.

Dispensing opticians may apply to the American Board of Opticianry (ABO) and the National Contact Lens Examiners (NCLE) for certification of their skills. Certification must be renewed every 3 years through continuing education.

Many experienced dispensing opticians open their own optical stores. Others become managers of optical stores or sales representatives for wholesalers or manufacturers of eyeglasses or lenses.

Job Outlook		Back to Top

Employment of dispensing opticians is expected to increase about as fast as the average for all occupations through 2010 as demand grows for corrective lenses. The number of middle-aged and elderly persons is projected to increase rapidly. Middle age is a time when many individuals use corrective lenses for the first time, and elderly persons generally require more vision care than others.

Fashion, too, influences demand. Frames come in a growing variety of styles and colors—encouraging people to buy more than one pair. Demand also is expected to grow in response to the availability of new technologies that improve the quality and look of corrective lenses, such as anti-reflective coatings and bifocal lenses without the line visible in old-style bifocals.

The need to replace those who leave the occupation will result in additional job openings. Nevertheless, the total number of job openings will be relatively small because the occupation is small.  Employment of opticians can fall somewhat during economic downturns.

Earnings		Back to Top

Median annual earnings of dispensing opticians were $24,430 in 2000. The middle 50 percent earned between $19,200 and $31,770. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $15,900, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $39,660. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of dispensing opticians in 2000 were as follows:

For general information about a career as a dispensing optician and about continuing education, as well as a list of State licensing boards for opticianry, contact:

• Opticians Association of America, 7023 Little River Turnpike, Suite 207, Annandale, VA 22003.
  Internet: http://www.opticians.org

For general information about a career as a dispensing optician and a list of accredited training programs, contact:

• Commission on Opticianry Accreditation, 7023 Little River Turnpike, Suite 207, Annandale, VA 22003.

For general information on opticianry and a list of home-study programs, seminars, and review materials, contact:

• National Academy of Opticianry, 8401 Corporate Dr., Suite 605, Landover, MD 20785.
  Internet: http://www.nao.org

To learn about voluntary certification for opticians who fit spectacles, as well as State licensing boards of opticianry, contact:

• American Board of Opticianry, 6506 Loisdale Rd., Suite 209, Springfield, VA 22150.
  Internet: http://www.abo.org

For information on voluntary certification for dispensing opticians who fit contact lenses, contact:

Selected industries employing opticians, dispensing that appear in the 2002-03 Career Guide to Industries: