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.
- O*NET-SOC code
29-2081.00 - Preparation Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Wages
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $35,610 | $38,820 | $47,260 | $61,700 | $76,750 |
By state (51)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 880 | $36,880 | 0.88 |
| Alaska | 90 | $58,250 | 0.59 |
| Arizona | 1,400 | $48,210 | 0.91 |
| Arkansas | 690 | $42,880 | 1.12 |
| California | 7,840 | $57,990 | 0.91 |
| Colorado | 1,520 | $47,310 | 1.12 |
| Connecticut | 610 | $75,300 | 0.76 |
| Delaware | 270 | $46,220 | 1.18 |
| District of Columbia | 80 | $61,310 | 0.24 |
| Florida | 5,080 | $58,850 | 1.08 |
| Georgia | 2,290 | $48,010 | 0.99 |
| Hawaii | 110 | $75,300 | 0.38 |
| Idaho | 530 | $43,950 | 1.30 |
| Illinois | 3,250 | $43,960 | 1.13 |
| Indiana | 2,010 | $39,370 | 1.33 |
| Iowa | 920 | $44,480 | 1.25 |
| Kansas | 630 | $40,140 | 0.92 |
| Kentucky | 950 | $44,290 | 1.00 |
| Louisiana | 720 | $36,360 | 0.79 |
| Maine | 350 | $47,220 | 1.14 |
| Maryland | 1,060 | $48,700 | 0.81 |
| Massachusetts | 1,360 | $67,210 | 0.79 |
| Michigan | 3,080 | $41,180 | 1.48 |
| Minnesota | 1,490 | $48,020 | 1.07 |
| Mississippi | 560 | $36,680 | 1.01 |
| Missouri | 1,600 | $38,750 | 1.15 |
| Montana | 330 | $47,050 | 1.34 |
| Nebraska | 870 | $39,830 | 1.79 |
| Nevada | 960 | $46,910 | 1.31 |
| New Hampshire | 440 | $51,980 | 1.38 |
| New Jersey | 2,010 | $72,460 | 0.99 |
| New Mexico | 340 | $39,090 | 0.83 |
| New York | 3,520 | $63,880 | 0.77 |
| North Carolina | 2,020 | $50,190 | 0.87 |
| North Dakota | 230 | $45,230 | 1.14 |
| Ohio | 2,960 | $50,500 | 1.13 |
| Oklahoma | 730 | $37,940 | 0.90 |
| Oregon | 1,000 | $49,210 | 1.08 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,230 | $45,450 | 0.78 |
| Rhode Island | 350 | $47,400 | 1.46 |
| South Carolina | 890 | $48,000 | 0.82 |
| South Dakota | 430 | $43,400 | 1.97 |
| Tennessee | 1,530 | $49,840 | 0.98 |
| Texas | 6,700 | $38,720 | 1.01 |
| Utah | 700 | $41,780 | 0.85 |
| Vermont | 70 | $57,350 | 0.47 |
| Virginia | 1,860 | $55,820 | 0.96 |
| Washington | 2,100 | $49,220 | 1.25 |
| West Virginia | 350 | $38,120 | 1.05 |
| Wisconsin | 1,430 | $44,820 | 1.03 |
| Wyoming | 130 | $39,100 | 0.96 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parts Salespersons | 1-2 | 0.961 |
| 2 | First-Line Supervisors of Gambling Services Workers | 1-2 | 0.950 |
| 3 | Skincare Specialists | 3 | 0.949 |
| 4 | Recycling Coordinators | 1-2 | 0.947 |
| 5 | Counter and Rental Clerks | 1-2 | 0.945 |
| 6 | Pharmacy Technicians | 3 | 0.944 |
| 7 | Funeral Home Managers | 3 | 0.942 |
| 8 | First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 1-2 | 0.942 |
| 9 | Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers | 3 | 0.941 |
| 10 | Photographers | 3 | 0.941 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Opticians, Dispensing, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | Persuasion | 1.00 | 0.941 |
| Solar Sales Representatives and Assessors | Persuasion | 0.88 | 0.928 |
| Dietetic Technicians | Monitoring | 0.88 | 0.927 |
| Postmasters and Mail Superintendents | Time Management | 1.00 | 0.926 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Opticians, Dispensing, excluding software Opticians, Dispensing already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Edge | 4 of 20 | 15.4x |
| Apple Safari | 4 of 20 | 8.8x |
| Mozilla Firefox | 4 of 20 | 7.1x |
| Handheld computer device software | 3 of 20 | 12.6x |
| SmugMug Flickr | 4 of 20 | 4.2x |
| Yardi software | 3 of 20 | 4.3x |
| 6 of 20 | 2.1x | |
| Google Drive | 4 of 20 | 2.9x |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | 17 of 20 | 1.2x |
| Delphi Technology | 3 of 20 | 3.2x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speaking | Essential skill | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.50 | 3.88 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 3.12 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.62 | 3.00 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.25 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.00 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.25 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.38 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.50 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.25 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.25 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.25 |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.75 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.75 |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Customer and Personal Service | 4.88 | 5.33 |
| Sales and Marketing | 4.25 | 4.75 |
| Mathematics | 3.91 | 4.08 |
| Production and Processing | 3.83 | 4.08 |
| Administrative | 3.78 | 3.83 |
| English Language | 3.67 | 3.54 |
| Administration and Management | 3.50 | 3.54 |
| Education and Training | 3.42 | 4.04 |
| Psychology | 3.21 | 3.54 |
| Law and Government | 3.08 | 2.88 |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.04 | 3.54 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 3.00 | 3.17 |
| Public Safety and Security | 2.92 | 2.58 |
| Communications and Media | 2.92 | 2.54 |
| Economics and Accounting | 2.88 | 2.50 |
| Mechanical | 2.79 | 2.88 |
| Physics | 2.58 | 2.46 |
| Biology | 2.54 | 2.52 |
| Engineering and Technology | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 2.50 | 2.21 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 2.43 | 2.35 |
| Telecommunications | 2.43 | 1.62 |
| Design | 2.38 | 2.21 |
| Foreign Language | 2.08 | 1.67 |
| Chemistry | 2.04 | 2.17 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.83 | 1.50 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.62 | 1.29 |
| Geography | 1.62 | 0.96 |
| Transportation | 1.58 | 0.88 |
| Fine Arts | 1.54 | 0.79 |
| Building and Construction | 1.50 | 0.83 |
| History and Archeology | 1.46 | 0.83 |
| Food Production | 1.22 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Oral Expression | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Oral Comprehension | 4.00 | 3.88 |
| Near Vision | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.75 | 3.62 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.75 | 3.50 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.75 | 3.12 |
| Written Expression | 3.62 | 3.50 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.62 | 3.00 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.62 | 3.00 |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.38 | 3.12 |
| Information Ordering | 3.38 | 3.00 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Control Precision | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Selective Attention | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Time Sharing | 3.00 | 2.62 |
| Far Vision | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Number Facility | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Originality | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Visualization | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.75 | 2.50 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Depth Perception | 2.50 | 2.12 |
| Memorization | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Trunk Strength | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Reaction Time | 1.88 | 1.38 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 1.88 | 1.25 |
| Rate Control | 1.88 | 1.00 |
| Response Orientation | 1.88 | 1.00 |
| Static Strength | 1.88 | 0.88 |
| Dynamic Strength | 1.75 | 0.75 |
| Extent Flexibility | 1.62 | 0.88 |
| Explosive Strength | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.00 | not rated |
| Gross Body Coordination | 1.00 | not rated |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 1.00 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Sound Localization | 1.00 | not rated |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.00 | not rated |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.00 | not rated |
| Stamina | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Intuit QuickBooks hot
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- Compulink Eyecare Advantage
- Cygnet Infotech Optifocus
- Database software
- Diversified Ophthalmics Practice Maximus
- EMRlogic Systems ENTERPRISE Visions
- EZ-Zone Optizone Enterprise
- First Insight MaximEyes
- HealthLine Systems Eyecom
- Insight Software My Vision Express
- Inventory management systems
- OfficeMate Software Solutions OfficeMate
- Specialist Data Solutions OctoPlus
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | 1,050 | 3.22 | $28,980 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | 120 | 2.11 | $37,780 |
| Flint, MI | 130 | 2.05 | $39,230 |
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | 170 | 2.04 | $44,190 |
| Peoria, IL | 150 | 1.96 | $37,040 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | 120 | 1.94 | $49,540 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | 110 | 1.93 | $38,510 |
| Lincoln, NE | 160 | 1.89 | $41,450 |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | 180 | 1.86 | $57,180 |
| Evansville, IN | 120 | 1.80 | $37,790 |