Dispensing optician vs optical dispenser

The differences between dispensing opticians and optical dispensers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a dispensing optician has an average salary of $45,679, which is higher than the $37,333 average annual salary of an optical dispenser.

The top three skills for a dispensing optician include patients, patient care and customer service. The most important skills for an optical dispenser are american board, ABO, and insurance coverage.

Dispensing optician vs optical dispenser overview

	Dispensing Optician	Optical Dispenser
Yearly salary	$45,679	$37,333
Hourly rate	$21.96	$17.95
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	4,434	6,198
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 32%	Associate Degree, 34%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

Dispensing optician vs optical dispenser salary

Dispensing opticians and optical dispensers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Dispensing Optician	Optical Dispenser
Average salary	$45,679	$37,333
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $62,000	Between $11,000 And $116,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between dispensing optician and optical dispenser education

There are a few differences between a dispensing optician and an optical dispenser in terms of educational background:

	Dispensing Optician	Optical Dispenser
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 32%	Associate Degree, 34%
Most common major	Business	Physics
Most common college	University of Minnesota - Twin Cities	Duke University

Dispensing optician vs optical dispenser demographics

Here are the differences between dispensing opticians' and optical dispensers' demographics:

	Dispensing Optician	Optical Dispenser
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 33.4% Female, 66.6%	Male, 42.7% Female, 57.3%
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, 5.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 8.9% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	13%	13%

Differences between dispensing optician and optical dispenser duties and responsibilities

Dispensing optician example responsibilities.

Communicate information and provide customer service to patients, families and visitors.
Fax Rx to proper lab.
Scan documents and abide by all HIPAA regulations.
Read and understand the different refractive errors as well as the Rx.
Work with VSP and eye med insurances, and all relate duties.
Order verification, working with insurance companies including VSP, NBN, and DSHS.

Optical dispenser example responsibilities.

Maintain coating quality using adhesion testing and spectrophotometers, and manage coating hues and reflectance adjustments.
Follow all IRB, FDA and HIIPA directions relate to clinical research projects.
Order glasses verify insurance order contacts make appointment follow up on RX order
Assist patients with eye wear selection, repairs and troubleshooting with Rx difficulties.
Work with multiple optometrists to solve patient issues including inaccurate optical measurements, lens adaptations, and overall patient satisfaction.
File insurance for orders including medicare and medicaid.

Dispensing optician vs optical dispenser skills

Common dispensing optician skills

Patients, 44%
Patient Care, 15%
Customer Service, 8%
Insurance Eligibility, 3%
Appointment Scheduling, 3%
Eye Exams, 2%

Common optical dispenser skills

American Board, 47%
ABO, 24%
Insurance Coverage, 18%
Customer Service, 4%
Scheduling Appointments, 2%
Optical Lab, 2%

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Dispensing Optician
Dispensing Optician vs Optical Dispenser

Updated January 8, 2025

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