SOC 29-2081.00

    Opticians, Dispensing

    Design, measure, fit, and adapt lenses and frames for client according to written optical prescription or specification.

    Median pay
    $47,260
    Growth
    +4.2%
    As fast as average
    Openings a year
    5,600
    Typical education
    High school diploma

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $35,610
    Median
    $47,260
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $76,750
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    73,530 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Dispensing opticians help clients select, fit, and care for eyeglasses and contact lenses based on written prescriptions. This career offers a median annual pay of $47,260, with opportunities for steady employment in the healthcare support sector.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What opticians, dispensing do

    Job Zone 3: Medium preparation

    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.

    Usually vocational training, an associate degree or related experience.

    What the work is like

    Dispensing opticians spend their days working directly with the public to measure, fit, and adapt lenses and frames. When a customer arrives with an optical prescription, the optician measures their eyes and face to ensure a proper fit. They assist clients in selecting frames that match their style and prescription needs, and they teach clients how to insert, remove, and care for contact lenses.

    This role requires writing detailed work orders for optical laboratories to grind and mount the lenses. Once the spectacles are finished, the optician verifies their exactness, adjusts the frames, and may shape or reshape them for comfort.

    To succeed, workers need strong skills in active listening, speaking, and social perceptiveness. They must combine customer and personal service knowledge with basic mathematics and sales techniques. Because they handle precise measurements and medical prescriptions, opticians must show high attention to detail, dependability, and cautiousness. The work appeals most to people with conventional interests who enjoy organized, systematic tasks and helping others.

    How to get there

    To enter this career, a high school diploma is typically required. However, many people prepare by completing vocational training, earning an associate degree, or gaining related on-the-job experience. Students interested in this field often major in ophthalmic and optometric support services and allied professions.

    Depending on where you live, you may need to obtain a license, as some states list a license for this work. Professionals can also earn voluntary credentials to demonstrate their expertise. These include the National Opticianry Competency Certification and the Contact Lens Registry Certification, both offered by the American Board of Opticianry and the National Contact Lens Examiners.

    Pay and outlook explained

    In 2025, the median annual pay for dispensing opticians was $47,260. The lowest 10% of earners made less than $35,610, while the highest 10% earned more than $76,750. There were 73,530 people employed in this field. Between 2025 and 2035, employment is projected to grow by 4.2%, which is as fast as the average for all occupations. This growth is expected to result in 5,600 job openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    56 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    21 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    7 / 100
    Social (S)
    34 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    39 / 100
    Conventional (C) · strongest
    74 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code CRE. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
    96
    Documenting/Recording Information
    93
    Selling or Influencing Others
    89
    Getting Information
    88
    Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
    87
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    87
    Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    83
    Working with Computers
    83
    Assisting and Caring for Others
    79
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    79
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Speaking
    • Active Listening
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Critical Thinking
    • Service Orientation
    • Coordination
    • Persuasion
    • Social Perceptiveness
    • Writing
    • Active Learning

    Knowledge

    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Sales and Marketing
    • Mathematics
    • Production and Processing
    • Administrative
    • English Language
    • Administration and Management
    • Education and Training
    • Psychology
    • Law and Government

    Abilities

    • Oral Comprehension
    • Oral Expression
    • Near Vision
    • Speech Clarity
    • Speech Recognition
    • Written Comprehension
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Written Expression
    • Finger Dexterity

    Work styles

    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Cautiousness
    • Cooperation
    • Social Orientation
    • Empathy
    • Sincerity
    • Integrity
    • Optimism
    • Self-Control

    Also called

    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

    Career pathway

    From your interests to opticians, dispensing

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Opticians, Dispensing$47,260 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1
      Capital Community College

      Hartford, CT · Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions · Associate

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $75,081
      Median debt
      Not reported
    2. 2
      Durham Technical Community College

      Durham, NC · Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions · Associate

      1 yr after
      $63,645
      4 yrs after
      $74,897
      Median debt
      Not reported
    3. 3
      Essex County College

      Newark, NJ · Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions · Associate

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $68,134
      Median debt
      Not reported
    4. 4Camden County College logo
      Camden County College

      Blackwood, NJ · Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions · Associate

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $61,446
      Median debt
      Not reported
    5. 5
      CUNY New York City College of Technology

      Brooklyn, NY · Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions · Associate

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $57,700
      Median debt
      Not reported
    6. 6Hillsborough Community College logo
      Hillsborough Community College

      Tampa, FL · Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions · Associate

      1 yr after
      $59,146
      4 yrs after
      $57,215
      Median debt
      $12,739
    7. 7Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology logo
      Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology

      Boston, MA · Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions · Associate

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $56,306
      Median debt
      Not reported
    8. 8Triton College logo
      Triton College

      River Grove, IL · Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions · Associate

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $50,934
      Median debt
      Not reported

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What opticians, dispensing may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Opticianry/Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    25 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about opticians, dispensing

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some alternative job titles for dispensing opticians?

    People in this profession are also called certified opticians, contact lens fitters, eyewear specialists, and eyecare advisors. Depending on state regulations and credentials, they may also be known as licensed dispensing opticians.

    Do opticians make the actual lenses themselves?

    No, dispensing opticians typically do not make the lenses. Instead, they prepare detailed work orders with instructions for an optical laboratory to grind and mount the lenses, though they do inspect the finished spectacles for accuracy.

    What certifications are available for this career?

    Opticians can earn the National Opticianry Competency Certification or the Contact Lens Registry Certification. Both of these credentials are administered by the American Board of Opticianry and the National Contact Lens Examiners.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.