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.
Based on O*NET work context for this occupation. This score does not predict individual job losses.
What drives the score
Automation and repetition raise exposure; freedom to set tasks lowers it. Each measure uses a 0–100 scale.
How well your skills transfer
Each skill is scored on how well it transfers into occupations that are growing and less exposed. The ones high on both importance and transfer are worth deepening.
| Skill | Transferability | Importance in current role |
|---|---|---|
| Speaking | 63 | 75 |
| Active Listening | 63 | 72 |
| Critical Thinking | 63 | 63 |
| Monitoring | 63 | 50 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 63 | 50 |
| Coordination | 62 | 56 |
| Active Learning | 62 | 50 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 62 | 50 |
| Reading Comprehension | 61 | 69 |
| Time Management | 61 | 50 |
Show 25 more skills
| Skill | Transferability | Importance in current role |
|---|---|---|
| Writing | 60 | 56 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 60 | 56 |
| Instructing | 58 | 47 |
| Learning Strategies | 58 | 41 |
| Systems Analysis | 57 | 28 |
| Service Orientation | 56 | 63 |
| Systems Evaluation | 56 | 38 |
| Persuasion | 54 | 56 |
| Mathematics | 53 | 47 |
| Negotiation | 52 | 44 |
| Science | 52 | 19 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 50 | 44 |
| Operations Analysis | 49 | 28 |
| Installation | 48 | 0 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 47 | 41 |
| Equipment Selection | 47 | 28 |
| Troubleshooting | 47 | 25 |
| Management of Material Resources | 47 | 25 |
| Technology Design | 47 | 22 |
| Management of Financial Resources | 47 | 22 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 47 | 13 |
| Operations Monitoring | 46 | 38 |
| Repairing | 46 | 22 |
| Programming | 45 | 13 |
| Operation and Control | 43 | 35 |
Compare how well you can use each skill in growing, low-exposure occupations with its importance in your current role. How we score skills.
Jobs you could move to
Compare related occupations by skill overlap, retraining effort, pay and projected growth. Choose a priority to adjust the ranking. Licensing requirements may limit some routes.
- Median pay · U.S.
- $72,300
- 10-yr growth
- +21.5%
- Skill gap
- 9%
- Retraining
- Low
Skills to build: Systems Analysis, Social Perceptiveness, Learning Strategies, Time Management
- Median pay · U.S.
- $68,380
- 10-yr growth
- +23%
- Skill gap
- 8%
- Retraining
- Low
Skills to build: Monitoring, Social Perceptiveness, Active Learning, Instructing
- Median pay · U.S.
- $135,880
- 10-yr growth
- +21.1%
- Skill gap
- 12%
- Retraining
- Low
Skills to build: Monitoring, Operations Monitoring, Active Learning, Judgment and Decision Making
- Median pay · U.S.
- $129,180
- 10-yr growth
- +21%
- Skill gap
- 14%
- Retraining
- Low
Skills to build: Systems Analysis, Complex Problem Solving, Operations Monitoring, Systems Evaluation
- Median pay · U.S.
- $65,160
- 10-yr growth
- +19.4%
- Skill gap
- 8%
- Retraining
- Low
Skills to build: Instructing, Learning Strategies, Active Learning, Monitoring
- Median pay · U.S.
- $98,100
- 10-yr growth
- +8%
- Skill gap
- 4%
- Retraining
- Low
Skills to build: Monitoring, Instructing
A second source of income, before you need it
This page can tell you where Opticians, Dispensing could go and what the move costs. The other route is not a move at all: something small of your own, running alongside the job, started while there is no pressure on it.
Where to learn the missing half: Google Career Certificates for systems analysis · active learning, LinkedIn Learning for writing · speaking, edX for mathematics · reading and PlanetNoCode for complex problem solving. Some of those are affiliate links. It never changes what we list.
Snapshot: O*NET 31.0, BLS OEWS May 2025, BLS Employment Projections 2025-2035. Scoring v2.1.0-onet-31.0. Method on the how it works page.