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Occupation AtlasOpticians, Dispensing

O*NET · 29-2081.00

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.

Also called Certified Optician · Contact Lens Fitter · Contact Lens Technician · Dispensing and Measuring Optician · Dispensing Optician · Eyecare Advisor · Eyeglass Fitter · Eyewear Specialist
11 more

LDO · Licensed Dispensing Optician (LDO) · Licensed Optical Dispenser · Licensed Optician · Ophthalmic Dispenser · Optical Dispenser · Optical Sales Associate · Optical Technician · Optician · Optometric Technician · Registered Optician

Job Zone 3 — Medium Preparation NeededHolland code CRE35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Photographers

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 3: Medium Preparation Needed

Medium preparation. Vocational training, related on-the-job experience, or an associate degree, with one to two years of training that combines experience and informal instruction.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

CREConventional · Realistic · Enterprising — the three strongest interests, in order

  • C Conventional5.43
  • R Realistic4.35
  • E Enterprising3.33
  • S Social3.05
  • I Investigative2.28
  • A Artistic1.41

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • High School Diploma or the equivalent46%
  • Post-Secondary Certificate25%
  • Some College Courses4%
  • Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree25%
Related work experience
None (38%)
On-site or in-plant training
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (33%)
On-the-job training
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (38%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Speakingbasic4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants to obtain personal and work history
  • Active Listeningbasic3.94.0Level 4 looks like: Answer inquiries regarding credit references
  • Reading Comprehensionbasic3.83.9Level 4 looks like: Understand an email from management describing new personnel policies
  • Critical Thinkingbasic3.53.9Level 4 looks like: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses
  • Service Orientation3.53.5Level 4 looks like: Make flight reservations for customers using an online booking site
  • Writingbasic3.33.3Level 4 looks like: Write an email to staff outlining new directives
  • Coordination3.33.1Level 4 looks like: Work with others to put a new roof on a house
  • Persuasion3.33.0Level 2 looks like: Solicit donations for a charity
  • Social Perceptiveness3.33.0Level 2 looks like: Notice that customers are angry because they have been waiting too long
  • Active Learningbasic3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Think about the implications of a news article for job opportunities
  • Complex Problem Solving3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Lay out tools to complete a job
  • Monitoringbasic3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Proofread and correct a letter
Show the other 23
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.02.9Level 2 looks like: Decide how scheduling a break will affect work flow
  • Time Management3.02.9Level 2 looks like: Keep a monthly calendar of appointments
  • Instructing2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Instruct a new employee in the use of a timekeeping system
  • Mathematicsbasic2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Count the amount of change to be given to a customer
  • Negotiation2.83.1Level 4 looks like: Contract with a wholesaler to sell items at a given cost
  • Management of Personnel Resources2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Encourage a coworker who is having difficulty finishing a project
  • Learning Strategiesbasic2.63.0Level 2 looks like: Learn a different method of completing a task from a coworker
  • Quality Control Analysis2.62.3Level 2 looks like: Inspect a draft email for errors (e.g., grammar, punctuation)
  • Operations Monitoring2.52.4Level 2 looks like: Monitor completion times while running a computer program
  • Systems Evaluation2.52.4Level 2 looks like: Determine why estimates for the time to complete a task are overly optimistic
  • Operation and Control2.42.0Level 2 looks like: Navigate the settings on an office printer to print on both sides of the paper
  • Systems Analysis2.12.3Level 2 looks like: Determine how loss of a team member will affect the completion of a job
  • Operations Analysis2.11.9Level 2 looks like: Select a printer for an office
  • Equipment Selection2.11.4Level 2 looks like: Select a tool to adjust a loose part on a bicycle
  • Troubleshooting2.01.8Level 2 looks like: Identify the source of a leak by looking under a machine
  • Management of Material Resources2.01.5Level 2 looks like: Reserve a room for a management meeting
  • Management of Financial Resources1.91.3Level 2 looks like: Use available funds to buy office supplies and record the amount of the purchase
  • Repairing1.91.3Level 2 looks like: Tighten a screw to get a door to close properly
  • Technology Design1.91.3Level 2 looks like: Adjust exercise equipment for use by a customer
  • Sciencebasic1.80.9
  • Equipment Maintenance1.50.8
  • Programming1.50.8
  • Installation1.0—

Tasks

21 core

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Measure clients' bridge and eye size, temple length, vertex distance, pupillary distance, and optical centers of eyes, using measuring devices.5.0
  2. Verify that finished lenses are ground to specifications.4.9
  3. Assist clients in selecting frames according to style and color, and ensure that frames are coordinated with facial and eye measurements and optical prescriptions.4.8
  4. Recommend specific lenses, lens coatings, and frames to suit client needs.4.8
  5. Evaluate prescriptions in conjunction with clients' vocational and avocational visual requirements.4.8
  6. Maintain records of customer prescriptions, work orders, and payments.4.7
  7. Heat, shape, or bend plastic or metal frames to adjust eyeglasses to fit clients, using pliers and hands.4.7
  8. Show customers how to insert, remove, and care for their contact lenses.4.7
  9. Prepare work orders and instructions for grinding lenses and fabricating eyeglasses.4.6
  10. Determine clients' current lens prescriptions, when necessary, using lensometers or lens analyzers and clients' eyeglasses.4.6
  11. Sell goods such as contact lenses, spectacles, sunglasses, and goods related to eyes, in general.4.5
  12. Obtain a customer's previous record, or verify a prescription with the examining optometrist or ophthalmologist.4.5
Show the other 9
  1. Fabricate lenses to meet prescription specifications.4.5
  2. Perform administrative duties, such as tracking inventory and sales, submitting patient insurance information, and performing simple bookkeeping.4.4
  3. Assemble eyeglasses by cutting and edging lenses, and fitting the lenses into frames.4.4
  4. Instruct clients in how to wear and care for eyeglasses.4.3
  5. Supervise the training of student opticians.4.2
  6. Order and purchase frames and lenses.4.2
  7. Grind lens edges, or apply coatings to lenses.3.8
  8. Repair damaged frames.3.7
  9. Arrange and maintain displays of optical merchandise.3.5

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • Customer and Personal Service4.95.3Level 4 looks like: Be responsible for 10 children at daycare
  • Sales and Marketing4.34.8Level 4 looks like: Introduce clients to a new line of products
  • Mathematics3.94.1Level 4 looks like: Analyze data to determine areas with the highest sales
  • Administrative3.83.8Level 4 looks like: Type 30 words per minute
  • Production and Processing3.84.1Level 4 looks like: Supervise an appliance assembly line
  • English Language3.73.5Level 4 looks like: Edit an article for a news website
  • Administration and Management3.53.5Level 4 looks like: Monitor progress of a project to ensure timely completion
  • Education and Training3.44.0Level 4 looks like: Lead a quality improvement seminar
Show all 33
  • Psychology3.23.5Level 4 looks like: Understand the impact of alcohol on human responses
  • Law and Government3.12.9
  • Computers and Electronics3.03.5Level 4 looks like: Use a computer to format a document
  • Personnel and Human Resources3.03.2Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants for an administrative position
  • Communications and Media2.92.5Level 1 looks like: Write a thank you note
  • Economics and Accounting2.92.5Level 1 looks like: Answer billing questions from credit card customers
  • Public Safety and Security2.92.6
  • Mechanical2.82.9
  • Physics2.62.5Level 1 looks like: Use a crowbar to pry open a box
  • Biology2.52.5Level 1 looks like: Feed domestic animals
  • Engineering and Technology2.52.5Level 1 looks like: Install a door lock
  • Medicine and Dentistry2.52.2Level 1 looks like: Use a band-aid
  • Design2.42.2Level 1 looks like: Draw a straight line 4 3/16 inches long
  • Sociology and Anthropology2.42.4Level 1 looks like: Identify two cultures in a story as being different
  • Telecommunications2.41.6Level 1 looks like: Send an email
  • Foreign Language2.11.7Level 1 looks like: Say "please" and "thank you" in a foreign language
  • Chemistry2.02.2Level 1 looks like: Use a common household bug spray
  • Therapy and Counseling1.81.5Level 1 looks like: Put ice on a sprained ankle
  • Geography1.61.0Level 1 looks like: Know the capital of the United States
  • Philosophy and Theology1.61.3Level 1 looks like: Watch a TV show on family values
  • Transportation1.60.9Level 1 looks like: Ride a train to work
  • Building and Construction1.50.8Level 1 looks like: Choose the proper type of wood for adding a deck onto a house
  • Fine Arts1.50.8Level 1 looks like: Attend a popular music concert
  • History and Archeology1.50.8Level 1 looks like: Take a class in US history
  • Food Production1.2—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Oral Comprehension4.03.9Level 4 looks like: Understand a coach's oral instructions for a sport
  • Oral Expression4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Give instructions to a lost motorist
  • Near Vision3.94.0Level 5 looks like: Read the fine print of a legal document
  • Speech Clarity3.83.1Level 4 looks like: Make stadium-wide announcements during a sporting event
  • Speech Recognition3.83.5Level 4 looks like: Identify a former customer's voice over the phone
  • Written Comprehension3.83.6Level 4 looks like: Understand an apartment lease
  • Deductive Reasoning3.63.0Level 2 looks like: Know that a stalled car can coast downhill
  • Problem Sensitivity3.63.0Level 2 looks like: Recognize that an unplugged lamp won't work
Show all 52
  • Written Expression3.63.5Level 4 looks like: Write a job recommendation for a subordinate
  • Finger Dexterity3.43.1Level 4 looks like: Attach small dials to audio equipment on an assembly line
  • Information Ordering3.43.0Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness3.13.0Level 2 looks like: Light a candle
  • Category Flexibility3.13.1Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
  • Control Precision3.02.9Level 2 looks like: Adjust a room light with a dimmer switch
  • Inductive Reasoning3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Decide what to wear based on the weather report
  • Manual Dexterity3.02.9
  • Perceptual Speed3.02.9Level 2 looks like: Sort mail according to ZIP codes with no time pressure
  • Selective Attention3.02.9Level 2 looks like: Answer a business call with coworkers talking nearby
  • Time Sharing3.02.6Level 3 looks like: Watch street signs while driving at 30 miles an hour
  • Visual Color Discrimination3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Trace electrical circuits marked by various colored wires
  • Far Vision2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Read a roadside billboard
  • Fluency of Ideas2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Name four different uses for a screwdriver
  • Mathematical Reasoning2.92.8
  • Number Facility2.93.0Level 3 looks like: Calculate a discounted price
  • Originality2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Use a credit card to open a locked door
  • Visualization2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Imagine how to place paper in a printer so that the letterhead comes out on top
  • Flexibility of Closure2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Detect that your phone is ringing while at a concert
  • Speed of Closure2.82.5Level 3 looks like: Recognize a song after hearing only the first few notes
  • Multilimb Coordination2.62.6Level 2 looks like: Row a boat
  • Depth Perception2.52.1Level 2 looks like: Merge a car into traffic on a city street
  • Memorization2.32.3Level 1 looks like: Remember the number on your bus to be sure you get back on the right one
  • Trunk Strength2.32.0Level 2 looks like: Sit up in an office chair
  • Wrist-Finger Speed2.32.0Level 2 looks like: Use a screwdriver to twist in a screw
  • Auditory Attention2.11.9Level 2 looks like: Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talking
  • Hearing Sensitivity1.91.3Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
  • Rate Control1.91.0Level 1 looks like: Ride a bicycle alongside a jogger
  • Reaction Time1.91.4Level 2 looks like: Start to slow down the car when a traffic light turns yellow
  • Response Orientation1.91.0Level 2 looks like: When a doorbell and phone ring at the same time, quickly select which to answer first
  • Static Strength1.90.9Level 1 looks like: Push an empty shopping cart
  • Dynamic Strength1.80.8
  • Extent Flexibility1.60.9
  • Explosive Strength1.40.4
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.0—
  • Glare Sensitivity1.0—
  • Gross Body Coordination1.0—
  • Gross Body Equilibrium1.0—
  • Night Vision1.0—
  • Peripheral Vision1.0—
  • Sound Localization1.0—
  • Spatial Orientation1.0—
  • Speed of Limb Movement1.0—
  • Stamina1.0—

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public4.85.4Level 4 looks like: Sell shoes in a crowded shoe store
  • Documenting/Recording Information4.74.3Level 4 looks like: Document the results of a crime scene investigation
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards4.55.0Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a complicated insurance claim for compliance with policy terms
  • Getting Information4.55.0Level 4 looks like: Review a budget
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.54.7Level 4 looks like: Select the location for a major retail store
  • Selling or Influencing Others4.54.7Level 4 looks like: Make a sales pitch to convince others to buy a product
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.35.5Level 4 looks like: Keep current on changes in maintenance procedures for repairing sports cars
  • Working with Computers4.33.5Level 4 looks like: Write software for keeping track of parts in inventory
Show all 41
  • Assisting and Caring for Others4.24.4Level 4 looks like: Help a medical patient find in-home assistance or healthcare
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.25.1Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.14.3Level 4 looks like: Report the results of a sales meeting to a supervisor
  • Performing Administrative Activities4.13.7Level 4 looks like: Complete tax forms for a small business
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Present information to potential clients about available services
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Interpret how foreign tax laws apply to U.S. exports
  • Processing Information4.04.8Level 4 looks like: Calculate the adjustments for insurance claims
  • Training and Teaching Others4.04.3Level 4 looks like: Teach a social sciences course to high school students
  • Coaching and Developing Others3.94.8Level 4 looks like: Provide on-the-job training for administrative workers
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events3.94.7Level 4 looks like: Judge the suitability of food products for an event
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People3.93.8Level 4 looks like: Determine the value of property lost in a fire
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others3.94.4Level 4 looks like: Get two subordinates to agree about vacation schedules
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information3.83.1Level 4 looks like: Estimate the time required to evacuate a city in the event of a major disaster
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates3.84.3Level 4 looks like: Manage a small team of employees in a dynamic workplace
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials3.83.9Level 4 looks like: Inspect equipment in a chemical processing plant
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources3.84.0Level 4 looks like: Work as a chef responsible for ordering food for the menu
  • Analyzing Data or Information3.73.9Level 4 looks like: Determine the interest cost to finance a new building
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work3.74.7Level 4 looks like: Plan and adjust a personal to-do list according to changing demands
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others3.74.5Level 4 looks like: Recommend a new software package to increase operational efficiency
  • Thinking Creatively3.74.2Level 4 looks like: Adapt popular music for a high school marching band
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings3.63.8Level 4 looks like: Test electrical circuits
  • Developing and Building Teams3.53.2Level 4 looks like: Lead an assembly team in an automobile plant
  • Handling and Moving Objects3.54.5Level 4 looks like: Arrange books in a library
  • Controlling Machines and Processes3.33.8Level 4 looks like: Operate a drilling rig
  • Scheduling Work and Activities3.33.5Level 4 looks like: Prepare the work schedule for salesclerks in a large retail store
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others3.23.4Level 4 looks like: Organize the cleanup crew after a major sporting event
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies3.13.2Level 4 looks like: Develop the plan to complete the merger of two organizations over a 3-year period
  • Staffing Organizational Units3.13.3Level 4 looks like: Interview candidates for a sales position and make hiring recommendations
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment2.73.1Level 4 looks like: Change the oil on a tractor
  • Performing General Physical Activities2.52.4Level 1 looks like: Walk between workstations in a small office
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment2.52.3Level 1 looks like: Use display settings to adjust a television picture
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment2.42.2Level 1 looks like: Specify the lighting for a work area
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment1.71.0Level 1 looks like: Drive a car

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams5.0
  • Telephone Conversations5.0
  • Contact With Others4.8
  • Deal With External Customers or the Public in General4.8
  • E-Mail4.8
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.8
  • Physical Proximity4.5
  • Freedom to Make Decisions4.4
  • Frequency of Decision Making4.4
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.2

Technology

16 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

Hot (4)

  • Intuit QuickBooks
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Word
Other tools (12)
  • Compulink Eyecare Advantage
  • Cygnet Infotech Optifocus
  • Database software
  • Diversified Ophthalmics Practice Maximus
  • EMRlogic Systems ENTERPRISE Visions
  • EZ-Zone Optizone Enterprise
  • First Insight MaximEyes
  • HealthLine Systems Eyecom
  • Insight Software My Vision Express
  • Inventory management systems
  • OfficeMate Software Solutions OfficeMate
  • Specialist Data Solutions OctoPlus

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians
  2. Optometrists
  3. Ophthalmic Medical Technicians
  4. Ophthalmic Medical Technologists
  5. Endoscopy Technicians
  6. Medical Equipment Preparers
  7. Pharmacy Technicians
  8. Pharmacy Aides
  9. Medical Assistants
  10. Hearing Aid Specialists

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.