Vision statement: Dispensing opticians create positive experience for patients
Dispensing opticians work with ophthalmologists and optometrists who have given prescriptions to patients in need of glasses or contact lenses. On
a typical day, a dispensing optician measures a patient’s eyes, including the distance between their pupils. They also adjust and repair glasses, educate their patients about proper eyewear care.
Perfecting an image
Eileen Richmond, a dispensing optician in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, says she’s often surprised at how quickly people choose frames, considering that they wear them every day. “If you were told you had to wear the same shirt to work every day, you’d be sure that shirt was fantastic but for some reason, a lot of people walk to the selection of glasses, pick out frames, try them on and say, ‘I’ll take these,’” she says.
Instead of the grab-and-go method, Richmond tries to tell patients to consider numerous factors before choosing frames, including the shape of their face, the prominence of certain facial features, their profession and their day-to-day activities. “If you’re a vice president of an insurance company, you’re probably not going to go with the red frames, even if you love them and they look fantastic on you,” she says. “Instead, you’ll go with something a bit more conservative but not necessarily boring. As far as which demographic is the most difficult to work with, Richmond says that there really isn’t one particular group that
stands out. “Women take more time to decide but I have worked with plenty of men who spend two hours trying on frames and re-trying on frames, so it just depends,” she says. “Children aren’t as difficult as people might think. Most of them are pretty psyched to get glasses because I think their parents have hyped glasses up as something that will make
them much cooler than their classmates.”
Still, not every day is a walk through Disney World. “There are kids who are adamant about not wearing glasses, so they shake their face when you try to take measurements or they pick the most absurd glasses just to make their parents mad,” Richmond says. “Those patients aren’t that fun to work with, obviously, and for some reason, they seem to come in bunches—and right before the school year starts.”
Job profile: Dispensing optician Duties: According to the U.S. Department of Labor, dispensing opticians receive customers’ prescriptions for eyeglasses or contact lenses; measure customers’ eyes; help customers choose eyeglass frames and lens treatments;
create work orders for ophthalmic laboratory technicians, provide information about the lenses needed; adjust eyewear to ensure a good fit; repair or replace broken eyeglass frames;
educate customers about eyewear and perform business tasks.
Work setting: Most dispensing opticians work in eyewear retail outlets or within optometrist or ophthalmologist practices.
Education: Dispensing opticians typically have a high school diploma or equivalent and some form of on-thejob training, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Pay: The median annual wage for dispensing opticians was $37,330 in May 2021. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $28,910, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $60,280.
Job outlook: The employment of opticians is projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2026. An aging population and increasing rates of chronic disease are expected to lead to greater demand for corrective eyewear.