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The differences between dispensing opticians and optometrists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an optometrist has an average salary of $187,654, 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 an optometrist are patients, patient care, and diagnosis.
| Dispensing Optician | Optometrist | |
| Yearly salary | $45,679 | $187,654 |
| Hourly rate | $21.96 | $90.22 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 4,434 | 20,993 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 32% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Average age | 44 | 45 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Dispensing opticians and optometrists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Dispensing Optician | Optometrist | |
| Average salary | $45,679 | $187,654 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $62,000 | Between $94,000 And $373,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Greensboro, NC |
| Highest paying state | - | North Carolina |
| Best paying company | - | Mayo Clinic |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a dispensing optician and an optometrist in terms of educational background:
| Dispensing Optician | Optometrist | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 32% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Most common major | Business | Optometry |
| Most common college | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | University of California, Berkeley |
Here are the differences between dispensing opticians' and optometrists' demographics:
| Dispensing Optician | Optometrist | |
| Average age | 44 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.4% Female, 66.6% | Male, 25.9% Female, 74.1% |
| 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, 1.4% Unknown, 3.0% Hispanic or Latino, 5.2% Asian, 17.1% White, 72.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 18% |