# 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/opticians-dispensing
- SOC code: 29-2081.00
- Career family: Healthcare practitioners
- Median annual pay: $47,260 (10th percentile $35,610, 90th percentile $76,750)
- Projected growth: As fast as average, +4.2%
- Openings a year: 5,600
- Typical entry education: High school diploma
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code CRE)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 56 |
| Investigative (I) | 21 |
| Artistic (A) | 7 |
| Social (S) | 34 |
| Enterprising (E) | 39 |
| Conventional (C) | 74 |

## What you'd do

- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public (importance 96/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 93/100)
- Selling or Influencing Others (importance 89/100)
- Getting Information (importance 88/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 87/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 87/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 83/100)
- Working with Computers (importance 83/100)
- Assisting and Caring for Others (importance 79/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 79/100)

## 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

## 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

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5118) (CIP 5118, 67 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Capital Community College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/capital-community-college-395) | Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions | not reported | $75,081 | not reported |
| [Durham Technical Community College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/durham-technical-community-college-840) | Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions | $63,645 | $74,897 | not reported |
| [Essex County College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/essex-county-college-924) | Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions | not reported | $68,134 | not reported |
| [Camden County College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/camden-county-college-386) | Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions | not reported | $61,446 | not reported |
| [CUNY New York City College of Technology](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cuny-new-york-city-college-of-technology-745) | Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions | not reported | $57,700 | not reported |
| [Hillsborough Community College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/hillsborough-community-college-1206) | Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions | $59,146 | $57,215 | $12,739 |
| [Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology](https://www.collegesref.com/college/benjamin-franklin-institute-of-technology-217) | Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions | not reported | $56,306 | not reported |
| [Triton College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/triton-college-2820) | Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions | not reported | $50,934 | not reported |

## Related careers

- [Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/ophthalmic-laboratory-technicians): $39,460 median pay
- [Optometrists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/optometrists): $136,570 median pay
- [Ophthalmic Medical Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/ophthalmic-medical-technicians): $45,570 median pay
- [Ophthalmic Medical Technologists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/ophthalmic-medical-technologists): $50,290 median pay
- [Endoscopy Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/endoscopy-technicians): $48,430 median pay
- [Medical Equipment Preparers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/medical-equipment-preparers): $47,700 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

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.