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The differences between dispensing opticians and contact lens fitters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a contact lens fitter has an average salary of $61,893, which is higher than the $45,679 average annual salary of a dispensing optician.
The top three skills for a dispensing optician include patients, patient care and customer service. The most important skills for a contact lens fitter are R, EMR, and .
| Dispensing Optician | Contact Lens Fitter | |
| Yearly salary | $45,679 | $61,893 |
| Hourly rate | $21.96 | $29.76 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 4,434 | 3,203 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 4 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 32% | Associate Degree, 42% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Dispensing opticians and contact lens fitters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Dispensing Optician | Contact Lens Fitter | |
| Average salary | $45,679 | $61,893 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $62,000 | Between $41,000 And $93,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | - | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a dispensing optician and a contact lens fitter in terms of educational background:
| Dispensing Optician | Contact Lens Fitter | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 32% | Associate Degree, 42% |
| Most common major | Business | Biology |
| Most common college | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | Duke University |
Here are the differences between dispensing opticians' and contact lens fitters' demographics:
| Dispensing Optician | Contact Lens Fitter | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.4% Female, 66.6% | Male, 41.7% Female, 58.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 9.2% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 8.1% White, 69.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 13% |