What Do Dispensing Opticians Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

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Job Description, Daily Responsibilities, and Work Life

Dispensing Opticians

Dispensing Opticians 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.

Salary
$41380
Becoming One
Medium
Education
Associate's degree
Job Satisfaction
Job Growth

Personality



Job Description

Job Description

Dispensing Opticians 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. They also evaluate prescriptions in conjunction with clients’ vocational and avocational visual requirements.

Other tasks include:

  • Recommend specific lenses, lens coatings, and frames to suit client needs.
  • 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.
  • Sell goods such as contact lenses, spectacles, sunglasses, and other goods related to eyes in general.
  • Assist clients in selecting frames according to style and color, and ensure that frames are coordinated with facial and eye measurements and optical prescriptions.
  • Heat, shape, or bend plastic or metal frames to adjust eyeglasses to fit clients, using pliers and hands.

We asked Dispensing Opticians how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

Job satisfaction

72%

How meaningful is this job

72%


72% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 72% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.



Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Dispensing Opticians sell goods such as contact lenses, spectacles, sunglasses, and other goods related to eyes in general. They heat, shape, or bend plastic or metal frames to adjust eyeglasses to fit clients, using pliers and hands.

A typical day for a Dispensing Optician will also include:

  • Recommend specific lenses, lens coatings, and frames to suit client needs.
  • Measure clients’ bridge and eye size, temple length, vertex distance, pupillary distance, and optical centers of eyes, using measuring devices.
  • Instruct clients in how to wear and care for eyeglasses.
  • Assist clients in selecting frames according to style and color, and ensure that frames are coordinated with facial and eye measurements and optical prescriptions.
  • Maintain records of customer prescriptions, work orders, and payments.

We asked some Dispensing Opticians a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job? 93% said yes
How important is it to work in a team in this job? 19% said very important
Do you have group discussions everyday in this job? 89% said yes
Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job? 78% said yes
Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job? 7% said yes
Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job? 52% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Dispensing Opticians also arrange and maintain displays of optical merchandise. They may also show customers how to insert, remove, and care for their contact lenses.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Dispensing Opticians Repair damaged frames. They might also Grind lens edges, or apply coatings to lenses.

In addition, they Obtain a customer’s previous record, or verify a prescription with the examining optometrist or ophthalmologist.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Fabricate lenses to meet prescription specifications.

To some Dispensing Opticians, it is also their responsibility to Perform administrative duties such as tracking inventory and sales, submitting patient insurance information, and performing simple bookkeeping.


Working life

Working hours

Standard 40 hour work week

Working schedule

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Dispensing Optician, you can expect to work 40 hour work week.

Do Dispensing Opticians work in an office-style work environment?

Every day
81%


Never
11%


Do Dispensing Opticians work outdoors?

Never
100%


Once a year
0%



Is this right for me

Best personality for this career

The Entrepreneurs and The Organizers

People who are suitable for this job tends to like starting up and carrying out projects. They like leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business..

They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.

You can read more about these career personality types here.



Learn more about Dispensing Opticians

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Related to Dispensing Opticians Job Description

Dispensing Opticians job description, what do Dispensing Opticians do, typical day for Dispensing Opticians, what is it like to work as a Dispensing Optician, how many hours do Dispensing Opticians work, day to day work of a Dispensing Optician

Additional resources

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/healthcare/opticians-dispensing.htm
http://www.abo-ncle.org/
http://www.coaccreditation.com/
http://www.nfos.org/


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