Opticians, Dispensing
SOC 29-2081 · 2024-2034
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.
How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.
The job this trains for
- Typical pay in California
- $59,613per year
- Projected openings
- 7,490
- Projected change
- +14.9%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
Skills this work uses most
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, rates how important each of these is to this work, and they are listed in that order, most important first. The ratings themselves are not shown, because the data carries the number without the scale it was measured on. The names are as published, in English.
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Service Orientation
- Social Perceptiveness
Pay by region
| Region | Typical pay in California | Projected openings |
|---|---|---|
| San Rafael MD (Marin County) | $77,710 | 40 |
| Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) | $68,117 | 530 |
| Vallejo MSA (Solano County) | $66,150 | 80 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA (San Benito and Santa Clara Counties) | $63,623 | 350 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $63,201 | 2,080 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma MSA (Sonoma County) | $62,432 | 110 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | $60,090 | 910 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA (El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties) | $59,628 | 720 |
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD (San Francisco and San Mateo Counties) | $58,578 | 310 |
| Chico MSA (Butte County) | $57,871 | 30 |
| Stockton-Lodi MSA (San Joaquin County) | $57,686 | 140 |
| Salinas MSA (Monterey County) | $57,214 | 50 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville MSA (Santa Cruz County) | $56,505 | 60 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles MSA (San Luis Obispo County) | $56,084 | 40 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA (Santa Barbara County) | $54,903 | 60 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA (San Diego County) | $52,345 | 570 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) | $51,277 | 1,010 |
| Yuba City MSA (Sutter and Yuba Counties) | $50,835 | 20 |
| Napa MSA (Napa County) | $50,568 | 20 |
| North Coast Region (Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, and Mendocino Counties) | $50,024 | 40 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA (Ventura County) | $48,935 | 130 |
| Merced MSA (Merced County) | $48,596 | 40 |
| Modesto MSA (Stanislaus County) | $48,596 | 110 |
| Visalia MSA (Tulare County) | $48,493 | 70 |
| Bakersfield-Delano MSA (Kern County) | $48,473 | 160 |
| Fresno MSA (Fresno and Madera Counties) | $48,411 | 200 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region (Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Plumas, Sierra, Siskiyou, Tehama, and Trinity Counties) | $48,236 | 40 |
| Redding MSA (Shasta County) | $48,185 | 40 |
Similar work
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, names these as occupations involving work similar to this one — its own reading of the job, not a grouping by code. They keep O*NET's order, and only those California publishes a projection for are shown.
| The job this trains for | Typical pay in California | Projected openings | Projected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians | $48,492 | 2,130 | +5.9% |
| Optometrists | $140,115 | 4,840 | +22.2% |
| Ophthalmic Medical Technicians | $56,015 | 4,340 | +33.3% |
| Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other | $62,080 | 22,750 | +14.3% |
| Healthcare Support Workers, All Other | $50,374 | 32,750 | +7.1% |
| Pharmacy Aides | $43,269 | 12,610 | +1.2% |
Leads to — 3
Optician Certification Training (GES 126)
Loyola Marymount University - LMU Extension · Los Angeles · $2,894
Optical Technician (Blended)
American Career College · Los Angeles · $20,620
Dispensing Opticians Training Program
San Mateo Adult and Career Education · San Mateo · $99