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.
What is this job like?
- Obtain a customer's previous record, or verify a prescription with the examining optometrist or ophthalmologist.
- Perform administrative duties, such as tracking inventory and sales, submitting patient insurance information, and performing simple bookkeeping.
- Supervise the training of student opticians.
- Instruct clients in how to wear and care for eyeglasses.
- Fabricate lenses to meet prescription specifications.
- Obtain a customer's previous record, or verify a prescription with the examining optometrist or ophthalmologist.
- Recommend specific lenses, lens coatings, and frames to suit client needs.
- Perform administrative duties, such as tracking inventory and sales, submitting patient insurance information, and performing simple bookkeeping.
- Verify that finished lenses are ground to specifications.
- Measure clients' bridge and eye size, temple length, vertex distance, pupillary distance, and optical centers of eyes, using measuring devices.
- Maintain records of customer prescriptions, work orders, and payments.
- Show customers how to insert, remove, and care for their contact lenses.
- Assist clients in selecting frames according to style and color, and ensure that frames are coordinated with facial and eye measurements and optical prescriptions.
- Sell goods such as contact lenses, spectacles, sunglasses, and goods related to eyes, in general.
- Grind lens edges, or apply coatings to lenses.
- Assist clients in selecting frames according to style and color, and ensure that frames are coordinated with facial and eye measurements and optical prescriptions.
- Order and purchase frames and lenses.
- Obtain a customer's previous record, or verify a prescription with the examining optometrist or ophthalmologist.
- Determine clients' current lens prescriptions, when necessary, using lensometers or lens analyzers and clients' eyeglasses.
- Assemble eyeglasses by cutting and edging lenses, and fitting the lenses into frames.
- Heat, shape, or bend plastic or metal frames to adjust eyeglasses to fit clients, using pliers and hands.
- Arrange and maintain displays of optical merchandise.
Local Wage Data
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Hourly Wage
$29,540
$39,610
$64,760
$14.20
$19.04
$31.13