How to hire a licensed dispensing optician

How to hire a licensed dispensing optician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step licensed dispensing optician hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a licensed dispensing optician job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new licensed dispensing optician
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your licensed dispensing optician job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a licensed dispensing optician for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A licensed dispensing optician's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, licensed dispensing opticians from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of licensed dispensing optician salaries for various roles:

   Type of Licensed Dispensing Optician	Description	Hourly rate
   Licensed Dispensing Optician	Dispensing opticians help fit eyeglasses and contact lenses, following prescriptions from ophthalmologists and optometrists. They also help customers decide which eyeglass frames or contact lenses to buy.	$15-38
   Optical Manager	An Optical Manager oversees the daily operations taking place in an optometrist's office. In general, Optical Managers oversee various eye care and administrative tasks... Show more	$5-62
   Optician Apprentice	An optician apprentice is an assistant to a certified optician whose responsibilities include designing, measuring, and fitting lenses and frames for clients. Optician apprentices assist clients with picking out frames of their choice and within their budgets, measuring customer size for fitting, and ensuring a good face- eyeglass match... Show more	$13-23

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patient Care
   • Patients
   • ANSI
   • RX
   • Customer Complaints
   • Lens Selection
   • Eye Care
   • DR
   • Optical Lab
   • Visual Fields
   • Prescription Eyewear
   • Payroll
   • Optical Prescriptions
   • Insurance Claims

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • File managed care claims including Medicare, Davis, eyem and VSP.
   • Inventory control over stock single vision lenses and ordering of RX from outside labs.
   • Help patients receive maximum benefit from their insurance coverage.
   • Educate patients on optical health and provide informative literature when need.
   • 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.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your licensed dispensing optician job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A licensed dispensing optician salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, licensed dispensing opticians' average salary in oklahoma is 51% less than in oregon.
   • Seniority. Entry-level licensed dispensing opticians earn 60% less than senior-level licensed dispensing opticians.
   • Certifications. A licensed dispensing optician with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a licensed dispensing optician's salary.

   Average licensed dispensing optician salary

   $51,436yearly

   $24.73 hourly rate

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   Entry-level licensed dispensing optician salary

   $32,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

4. Writing a licensed dispensing optician job description

   A job description for a licensed dispensing optician role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a licensed dispensing optician job description:

   Licensed dispensing optician job description example

   To provide the finest care and services possible to the membership served in the Eye Care Department.
   Essential Responsibilities:
   
   + Determines patient's cosmetic needs and price of eyewear according to patient's Health plan. Assists member in the selection of the their eyewear to conform to prescription specifications; advises and recommends the various lens style and any options available that will enhance the member's desired application for their new eyewear, size considerations, and style applications in accordance with the member's personal preference.
   
   + Inspects and verifies the accuracy of incoming orders from production to assure compliance with national and Kaiser Permanente standards.
   
   + Delivers completed order to the intended wearer by bending the frame material using specialized tools and equipment. Verifies exact fitting characteristics of the completed order to comply with prescription requirements and member comfort expectations.
   
   + Assists supervisor in tracking product activity regarding ordering, receiving, usage, and requirements for items for inventory and supplies required for member care and service. Recommends changes in product offerings, inventory levels of products carried, new products, and/or services that the membership is asking about regarding their eyewear.
   
   + Performs operation of and routine maintenance/repair of precision grinding equipment used to produce in-house eyewear to assure accurate and quality output from laboratory.
   
   + Monitors and takes corrective action regarding the physical condition of the department by ensuring that frames on display are clean, properly labeled, and properly adjusted; that displays are clean, in good repair, and neat; that mirrors are clean and well lighted, organized, and conductive to smooth patient flow. Performs routine housekeeping functions as necessary to assure compliance to all factors listed.
   
   + Answers member questions regarding visual health care, the use of eyewear, lens and/or frame products available, low vision aids, and other services available within the department. Addresses questions regarding optometry services and appointment availability within the department. Refers questions outside of department to the appropriate party in the facility or organization as necessary.
   
   + Assists the optometrist in the instruction of members regarding the care and handling of contact lenses. Provides individual instruction and assistance as directed by the optometrist in the member's eye care and eyewear requirements.
   
   + Performs reception, check-in, cashiering, screening, and notification functions as required for expediting patient care and reducing waiting time for the membership being served.
   
   + Attains Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic Optical Services sales goals and complies with all cash handling procedures and policies completely.
   
   + Performs other related duties as assigned.
   
   + Is available as floater to other locations as needed.
   
   Working hours vary
   
   Basic Qualifications:
   
   Experience
   
   + Minimum two (2) years of experience as a dispensing optician required.
   
   + Experience in all aspect of dispensing prescription eyewear required.
   
   + Per the National Agreement, current KP Coalition employees have this experience requirement waived.
   
   Education
   
   + High School Diploma or General Education Development (GED) required.
   
   License, Certification, Registration
   
   + ABO certification in good standing required for new hires or obtained within one (1) year of hire.
   
   Additional Requirements:
   
   + General knowledge of optical theory, optical practice and national standards for accuracy, and quality required.
   
   + Effective written and oral communication skills required.
   
   + Ability to fit and adjust the completed eyewear to the level expected by the wearer required.
   
   + Knowledge of production and manufacturing techniques for Rx orders from raw materials required.
   
   + Knowledge of the applicable system's daily operation requirements required.
   
   + Must be able to work in a Labor/Management Partnership environment.
   
   Preferred Qualifications:
   
   + Computer experience preferred.
   
   + Contact Lens certification and/or licensing preferred.
   
   COMPANY: KAISER
   
   TITLE: Optician, Non-Licensed Dispensing - ($2,000 Incentive)
   
   LOCATION: North Kensington, Maryland
   
   REQNUMBER: 1021232
   
   External hires must pass a background check/drug screen. Qualified applicants with arrest and/or conviction records will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with Federal, state and local laws, including but not limited to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran, or disability status.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find licensed dispensing opticians for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any licensed dispensing opticians they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level licensed dispensing opticians with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your licensed dispensing optician job on Zippia to find and attract quality licensed dispensing optician candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit licensed dispensing opticians, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new licensed dispensing optician

   Once you've selected the best licensed dispensing optician candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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