How To Become A Licensed Optician: What It Is and Career Path

What is a licensed optician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Dr. Todd Peabody

As a licensed option, you will need to have the technical knowledge to dispense eyewear to customers. You will take measurements and help customers select the eyewear that is best for them. You need to have the knowledge to measure the thickness of the cornea and other parts of the eye.

As a licensed optician, you can interpret prescriptions issued by optometrists and ophthalmologists and create orders for lab techs. In your job as a licensed optician, you will also ensure the clinic is running smoothly. You will need to keep track of prescriptions, appointments, and inventory. You can also repair broken frames and teach patients how to take care of their eyewear.

Most opticians need a high school degree or GED. You will need to obtain an optician certificate through a post-secondary school program that lasts one year. Opticians also need an associate degree in Ophthalmic Dispensing and go through an apprenticeship program. After your apprenticeship, you can earn a yearly salary of about $38,000.

What general advice would you give to a Licensed Optician?

Dr. Todd Peabody

Clinical Associate Professor, Associate Dean, Indiana University

You're not an island and can take better care of your patients with the help of fellow professionals as well as friends and colleagues. Don't hesitate to reach out for guidance and advice. Find a few mentors who can help you plot your course through your professional career. Create specific, actionable goals that you revisit on a periodic basis.

ScoreLicensed OpticianUS Average

Salary

3.6

Avg. Salary $45,625

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.4

Growth Rate 4%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.35%

Asian 9.17%

Black or African American 5.55%

Hispanic or Latino 19.03%

Unknown 3.83%

White 62.07%

Gender

female 63.80%

male 36.20%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress Level

6.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

7.7

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

7.4

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

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Key steps to become a licensed optician

Explore licensed optician education requirements

Most common licensed optician degrees

Associate

49.3 %

Bachelor's

31.5 %

High School Diploma

7.9 %

Start to develop specific licensed optician skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	32.54%
Customer Satisfaction	17.29%
Eye Care	8.54%
HIPAA	5.11%
RX	3.74%

Complete relevant licensed optician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 2-4 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New licensed opticians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a licensed optician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real licensed optician resumes.

Research licensed optician duties and responsibilities

Maintain coating quality using adhesion testing and spectrophotometers, and manage coating hues and reflectance adjustments.
Provide training for ABO certification.
Check in finish product to verify rx before dispensing.
Read the Rx, take proper measurement of frame and patient.

Prepare your licensed optician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your licensed optician resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a licensed optician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Licensed Optician Resume templates

Build a professional Licensed Optician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Licensed Optician resume.

Apply for licensed optician jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a licensed optician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do licensed opticians rate their job?

-/5

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Licensed Optician reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020

Pros

an optician: Working with patients. I enjoy helping them choose the right eyewear for their needs. And I enjoy the response they have when they put on their new pair of glasses and smile.

Cons

Very little. The only thing I would dislike is another employee disrespecting a patient. Other than that, I enjoy my job very much.

A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019