How To Become An Optical Assistant: What It Is and Career Path

What is an optical assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted Expert

Dr. Todd Peabody

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an optical assistant. For example, did you know that they make an average of $18.87 an hour? That's $39,251 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 4% and produce 2,800 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to an Optical Assistant?

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.

ScoreOptical AssistantUS Average

Salary

3.1

Avg. Salary $39,251

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 9.11%

Black or African American 5.43%

Hispanic or Latino 18.80%

Unknown 3.82%

White 62.48%

Gender

female 87.01%

male 12.99%

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

Key steps to become an optical assistant

Explore optical assistant education requirements

Most common optical assistant degrees

Bachelor's

32.2 %

Associate

26.1 %

High School Diploma

22.6 %

Start to develop specific optical assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	15.42%
HIPAA	15.31%
Computer System	14.08%
Data Entry	12.91%
Customer Satisfaction	11.53%

Complete relevant optical assistant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 2-4 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New optical assistants 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 an optical assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real optical assistant resumes.

Research optical assistant duties and responsibilities

Maintain coating quality using adhesion testing and spectrophotometers, and manage coating hues and reflectance adjustments.
Book appointments when the Dr's office is closed.
Take measurements before turning frames and Rx over to the lab to have glasses make.
Acquire, comply with and obtain a thorough knowledge and understanding of HIPPA and OSHA practices.

Prepare your optical assistant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your optical assistant 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 an optical assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Optical Assistant Resume templates

Build a professional Optical Assistant 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 Optical Assistant resume.

Apply for optical assistant jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an optical assistant 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 optical assistants rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Optical Assistant reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019

Pros

You get to meet new people every day and help them see. Finding the best frame for them, depending on their prescription and their style.

Cons

You will find some people that are not easy to please when it comes to glasses and make you job harder than it has to be.