Occupation · SOC 29-2081
Opticians, Dispensing
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.
Median wage
$46,560
$34,470–$73,240
Projected growth
+2.9%
Slower than average
Annual openings
230
per year
Employed (US)
79,690
Job Zone 3
Typical preparation
Medium preparation
Stackable credential programs
11 mapped
Core skills
SpeakingActive ListeningReading ComprehensionService OrientationCritical ThinkingSocial PerceptivenessCoordinationPersuasion
Knowledge areas
Customer and Personal ServiceSales and MarketingMathematicsProduction and ProcessingAdministrative
Technology & tools
Medical softwareData base user interface and query softwareAccounting softwareInventory management softwareSpreadsheet software
Representative tasks
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.Assist clients in selecting frames according to style and color, and ensure that frames are coordinated with facial and eye measurements and optical prescriptions.Recommend specific lenses, lens coatings, and frames to suit client needs.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.Show customers how to insert, remove, and care for their contact lenses.Determine clients' current lens prescriptions, when necessary, using lensometers or lens analyzers and clients' eyeglasses.Prepare work orders and instructions for grinding lenses and fabricating eyeglasses.Obtain a customer's previous record, or verify a prescription with the examining optometrist or ophthalmologist.Sell goods such as contact lenses, spectacles, sunglasses, and goods related to eyes, in general.Fabricate lenses to meet prescription specifications.Perform administrative duties, such as tracking inventory and sales, submitting patient insurance information, and performing simple bookkeeping.Assemble eyeglasses by cutting and edging lenses, and fitting the lenses into frames.Instruct clients in how to wear and care for eyeglasses.Supervise the training of student opticians.Order and purchase frames and lenses.Grind lens edges, or apply coatings to lenses.Repair damaged frames.Arrange and maintain displays of optical merchandise.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Pupillary distance and bridge measurements — collect using a millimeter ruler and pupillometer under direct supervision in a retail optical setting.Prescription labels and work orders — read and interpret basic optical terminology with guidance from a licensed dispensing optician.Frame styles and color options — present to clients using display inventory, following established selection protocols in a retail dispensary.Finished lenses — visually inspect against work orders to identify obvious surface defects or incorrect tint under supervisor direction.Client facial measurements and frame fitting — document in practice management software following standard data-entry procedures.Plastic eyeglass frames — warm in a frame heater and apply basic adjustments to nose pads and temples under direct technician supervision.Contact lens insertion and removal steps — demonstrate to new wearers using manufacturer-provided instructions in a clinical dispensing environment.Customer payment transactions — process using point-of-sale software following established checkout procedures in a retail optical office.Active listening skills — apply when gathering initial client complaints about fit or vision comfort, escalating complex issues to senior staff.Optical inventory counts — assist in recording frame and lens stock using inventory management software under supervisor oversight.
developing
Bridge width, eye size, vertex distance, and temple length — measure independently using calibrated instruments across a variety of client facial profiles in a full-service optical shop.Finished lens specifications — verify against prescriptions by using a lensometer to confirm sphere, cylinder, axis, and add power with minimal oversight.Client vocational and lifestyle needs — evaluate alongside written prescriptions to recommend appropriate lens designs in routine dispensing consultations.Anti-reflective, photochromic, and scratch-resistant lens coatings — recommend to clients based on identified visual requirements and daily activities in a retail optical environment.Metal and plastic frames — heat, reshape, and adjust to achieve proper fit using pliers and manual techniques for a range of frame styles with limited supervision.Customer prescription records, work orders, and payment histories — maintain accurately in practice management and database software following HIPAA guidelines.Frame selection consultations — guide clients by coordinating style preferences with facial measurements and optical parameters in a busy dispensary.Contact lens care regimens — instruct new and established wearers, addressing common handling questions and troubleshooting minor comfort issues.Time management strategies — apply to balance multiple client appointments, lab orders, and administrative tasks during peak retail hours.Prescription discrepancies or lens quality issues — identify and communicate clearly to the optical laboratory for timely remakes or adjustments.
proficient
Complex prescriptions including high powers, prisms, and progressive additions — evaluate against clients' occupational and recreational visual demands to select optimal lens solutions autonomously.Full optical measurements including vertex distance, pantoscopic tilt, and optical center placement — perform precisely for difficult-to-fit patients to meet lab fabrication tolerances.Non-routine frame fitting challenges — resolve by selecting and executing advanced adjustment techniques on specialty and rimless frames in a clinical or high-volume retail setting.Lens material, index, and coating combinations — recommend persuasively by synthesizing prescription data, lifestyle factors, and budget constraints during client consultations.Lensometer, pupillometer, and corneal topography data — cross-reference systematically to verify finished eyewear accuracy across diverse prescription types.Client service failures or prescription-related complaints — diagnose root causes and implement corrective solutions, coordinating with labs and practitioners without supervisory input.Contact lens fitting parameters and care instructions — evaluate and tailor for patients with astigmatism, presbyopia, or dry-eye conditions in a collaborative clinical environment.Patient education materials and dispensing records — compose clearly in writing to support compliance, informed consent, and accurate clinical documentation.Critical thinking — apply when assessing whether a new prescription represents a clinically appropriate change or warrants referral back to the prescribing provider.Optical practice management software and reporting tools — use proficiently to monitor order status, track outstanding balances, and generate operational summaries.
advanced
Dispensing protocols and quality-control standards — develop and implement across an optical practice or multi-location retail group to ensure consistent patient outcomes.Emerging lens technologies, specialty coatings, and digital surfacing innovations — evaluate and integrate into practice offerings, leading clinical and sales staff through adoption.Staff training curricula for frame fitting, measurement techniques, and contact lens instruction — design and deliver to develop competency in new and mid-level dispensing technicians.Complex patient cases involving low vision, pediatric fitting, or post-surgical requirements — manage autonomously and use as coaching opportunities for developing staff.Sales and marketing strategies for optical products — shape by analyzing performance data from POS and inventory systems to optimize frame selection and lens package profitability.Regulatory compliance requirements including prescription verification laws and HIPAA standards — interpret and enforce practice-wide, serving as the primary resource for staff guidance.Vendor and laboratory relationships — negotiate to secure favorable pricing, quality agreements, and priority turnaround that support the practice's service commitments.Workforce scheduling, performance monitoring, and personnel development — direct for an optical dispensary team, aligning staffing levels with patient volume and revenue targets.Inter-professional collaboration with ophthalmologists and optometrists — lead to refine co-management protocols that improve the patient journey from examination to final dispensing.Organizational knowledge systems for prescriptions, inventory, and patient outcomes — design and oversee, ensuring data integrity, accessibility, and compliance across all software platforms.
Also known as
61 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Ophthalmic Craftsman (Air Force 4V071)Optometry (Army 67F)Dental Assistant (Air Force 4Y0X1)Optometrist (Air Force 42E3)Ophthalmic Helper (Air Force 4V011)Optical Sales AssociateOphthalmic Manager (Air Force 4V000)Ophthalmic Journeyman (Air Force 4V051)Certified OpticianOptician Apprentice, DispensingLicensed Dispensing Optician (LDO)Ophthalmic Journeyman, Ophthalmology (Air Force 4V051S)Dispensing OpticianOptometrist (Air Force 42E4)Ophthalmic Apprentice, Ophthalmology (Air Force 4V031S)Licensed OpticianDental Assistant Helper (Air Force 4Y011)Health Services Management Superintendent (Air Force 4A091)Ophthalmologist (Army 60S)Optometrist (Air Force 42E1)Eyeglass FitterHealth Services Management Craftsman, Health Information Technology (Air Force 4A071S)Contact Lens TechnicianOptical TechnicianDental Assistant Journeyman (Air Force 4Y051)Optometrist (Air Force 42EX)Health Services Management Helper (Air Force 4A011)Optical DispenserOptometrist (Navy 0880)Health Services Management Journeyman (Air Force 4A051)Ophthalmic Helper, Ophthalmology (Air Force 4V011S)Medical Administration Specialty (Coast Guard MED)Registered OpticianOphthalmic (Air Force 4V0X1)Ophthalmic Apprentice (Air Force 4V031)Dental Assistant Journeyman, Dental Hygienist (Air Force 4Y051H)Hospital Corpsman (Navy HM)Dispensing and Measuring OpticianHealth Services Management (Air Force 4A0X1)Eye Specialist (Army 68Y)