DETAILED OCCUPATION DATA
29-2081 Opticians, Dispensing
Occupational Description:
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.| Percentiles | |||||||||
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| Geography | Employment | Emp SE* | Mean | Mean SE* | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
| EDR 6E- Southwest Central | 20 | 4 | $12.38/hr | $1.43/hr | $7.85/hr | $8.48/hr | $12.24/hr | $16.21/hr | $19.09/hr |
| Minnesota | 1,440 | 147 | $16.84/hr | $0.37/hr | $11.36/hr | $13.79/hr | $16.59/hr | $19.08/hr | $22.47/hr |
| U S | 60,680 | 1,335 | $17.06/hr | $0.12/hr | $10.28/hr | $12.67/hr | $16.26/hr | $20.72/hr | $25.36/hr |
| *SE = Standard error, a measure of the statistical reliability of the estimate. | |||||||||
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| Occupation (click title for details) | OES | Projections | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment | Median Wage | % Change - | |
| Customer Service Representatives | 410 | $15.41/hr | N/A |
| Counter and Rental Clerks | 80 | $9.24/hr | N/A |
| Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs | 40 | $21.25/hr | N/A |
| New Accounts Clerks | 40 | $15.62/hr | N/A |
| Insurance Sales Agents | 30 | $23.64/hr | N/A |
Tasks for Opticians, Dispensing
- Measures client's bridge and eye size, temple length, vertex distance, pupillary distance, and optical centers of eyes, using measuring devices.
- Verifies finished lenses are ground to specification.
- Recommends specific lenses, lens coatings, and frames to suit client needs.
- Heats, shapes, or bends plastic or metal frames to adjust eyeglasses to fit client, using pliers and hands.
- Assists client in selecting frames according to style and color, coordinating frames with facial and eye measurements and optical prescription.
- Grinds lens edges or applies coating to lenses.
- Instructs clients in adapting to wearing and caring for eyeglasses.
- Fabricates lenses to prescription specifications.
- Repairs damaged frames.
- Evaluates prescription in conjunction with client's vocational and avocational visual requirements.
- Determines client's current lens prescription, when necessary, using lensometer or lens analyzer and client's eyeglasses.
- Prepares work order and instructions for grinding lenses and fabricating eyeglasses.