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The differences between optical assistants and licensed opticians 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 $39,251 average annual salary of an optical assistant.
The top three skills for an optical assistant include patients, HIPAA and computer system. The most important skills for a licensed optician are patients, customer satisfaction, and eye care.
| Optical Assistant | Licensed Optician | |
| Yearly salary | $39,251 | $45,625 |
| Hourly rate | $18.87 | $21.94 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 2,978 | 14,216 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | Associate Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Optical assistants and licensed opticians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Optical Assistant | Licensed Optician | |
| Average salary | $39,251 | $45,625 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $57,000 | Between $32,000 And $63,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | - | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between an optical assistant and a licensed optician in terms of educational background:
| Optical Assistant | Licensed Optician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | Associate Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Emory University | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities |
Here are the differences between optical assistants' and licensed opticians' demographics:
| Optical Assistant | Licensed Optician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.0% Female, 87.0% | Male, 36.2% Female, 63.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 9.1% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 13% |