Licensed optician vs optical dispenser

The differences between licensed opticians and optical dispensers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a licensed optician has an average salary of $45,625, which is higher than the $37,333 average annual salary of an optical dispenser.

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

Licensed optician vs optical dispenser overview

	Licensed Optician	Optical Dispenser
Yearly salary	$45,625	$37,333
Hourly rate	$21.94	$17.95
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	14,216	6,198
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 49%	Associate Degree, 34%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

Licensed optician vs optical dispenser salary

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

	Licensed Optician	Optical Dispenser
Average salary	$45,625	$37,333
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $63,000	Between $11,000 And $116,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between licensed optician and optical dispenser education

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

	Licensed Optician	Optical Dispenser
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 49%	Associate Degree, 34%
Most common major	Business	Physics
Most common college	University of Minnesota - Twin Cities	Duke University

Licensed optician vs optical dispenser demographics

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

	Licensed Optician	Optical Dispenser
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 36.2% Female, 63.8%	Male, 42.7% Female, 57.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 9.2% White, 62.1% 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 licensed optician and optical dispenser duties and responsibilities

Licensed optician example responsibilities.

Maintain coating quality using adhesion testing and spectrophotometers, and manage coating hues and reflectance adjustments.
Provide training for ABO certification.
Check in finish product to verify rx before dispensing.
Read the Rx, take proper measurement of frame and patient.
Collect payment for eyewear and Dr fees and balance books daily.
Assist the accounting department in generating staff payroll on a weekly basis.

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.

Licensed optician vs optical dispenser skills

Common licensed optician skills

Patients, 33%
Customer Satisfaction, 17%
Eye Care, 9%
HIPAA, 5%
RX, 4%
Patient Care, 3%

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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Licensed Optician
Licensed Optician vs Optical Dispenser

Updated January 8, 2025

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