Healthcare practitioners
Opticians, Dispensing
- Median pay
- $47,260
- Outlook
- As fast as average
High school diploma
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
ProgramsHealth Professions and Related Programs
Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions
CIP51.18
43 colleges offer Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions. See what it covers, which degree levels are available and what graduates earn and borrow.
Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Colleges offering it
- 43
- at its most common level
Colleges offering it, by degree level
- Certificate
- 40
- Associate's
- 43
- Bachelor's
- 2
- Master's
- 1
- Graduate/professional certificate
- 3
What it covers
About Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions
Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions is part of Health Professions and Related Programs: instructional programs that prepare individuals to practice as licensed professionals and assistants in the health care professions and related clinical sciences and administrative and support services.
Definition: National Center for Education Statistics, Classification of Instructional Programs 2020, code 51.18.
Programs in this field
Colleges report these specific programs under CIP 51.18.
- Opticianry/Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician
- Optometric Technician/Assistant
- Ophthalmic Technician/Technologist
- Orthoptics/Orthoptist
By degree level
Earnings and debt by degree level
Medians across colleges of each college's own program median. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid and were working.
| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 40 | $33,7654 yrs after · 2 colleges | Not reported |
| Associate's | 43 | $57,2154 yrs after · 11 colleges | $19,1472 colleges |
| Bachelor's | 2 | Not reported | Not reported |
| Master's | 1 | Not reported | Not reported |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 3 | Not reported | Not reported |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Colleges with too few graduates have their earnings and debt suppressed, so the number of colleges reporting is smaller than the number offering the program.
Associate's programs
Where Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions graduates earn the most
Median earnings four years after finishing, among programs with at least 10 graduates in the latest year. Earnings are one measure; cost and graduation rate matter too.
- 1
Hartford, CT · Public · 10 graduates
$75,081
debt not reported
- 2
Durham Technical Community College
Durham, NC · Public · 13 graduates
$74,897
debt not reported
- 3
Newark, NJ · Public · 10 graduates
$68,134
debt not reported
- 4
Blackwood, NJ · Public · 10 graduates
$61,446
debt not reported
- 5
CUNY New York City College of Technology
Brooklyn, NY · Public · 20 graduates
$57,700
debt not reported
- 6
Hillsborough Community College
Tampa, FL · Public · 42 graduates
$57,215
debt $12,739
- 7
Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology
Boston, MA · Private nonprofit · 11 graduates
$56,306
debt not reported
- 8
River Grove, IL · Public · 12 graduates
$50,934
debt not reported
- 9
Portland, OR · Public · 13 graduates
$46,972
debt not reported
- 10
Harriman, TN · Public · 14 graduates
$41,665
debt not reported
Careers
Careers this program leads to
Occupations linked to Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions by the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, highest national median pay first. Pay and outlook are BLS figures for each occupation.
- Bright outlook
Healthcare practitioners
Ophthalmic Medical Technicians
- Median pay
- $45,570
- Outlook
- Much faster than average
Postsecondary certificate
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
More in Health Professions and Related Programs
Other programs in the same area of study, by how many colleges offer them.
Every program in this area- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing1,111 colleges
- Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions930 colleges
- Health and Medical Administrative Services890 colleges
- Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants864 colleges
- Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services796 colleges
- Public Health540 colleges
- Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General461 colleges
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions424 colleges
Questions about Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions
How many colleges offer Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions?
Published colleges on CollegesRef report Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions at these degree levels: certificate (40 colleges), associate's (43 colleges), bachelor's (2 colleges), master's (1 college), graduate/professional certificate (3 colleges). Counts are from College Scorecard field-of-study data (2025).
Where do Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions graduates earn the most?
Capital Community College reports the highest median earnings for associate's graduates in Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions: $75,081 four years after finishing, among programs with at least 10 graduates.