Optical dispenser vs bench optician

The differences between optical dispensers and bench opticians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a bench optician has an average salary of $45,915, which is higher than the $37,333 average annual salary of an optical dispenser.

Optical dispenser vs bench optician overview

	Optical Dispenser	Bench Optician
Yearly salary	$37,333	$45,915
Hourly rate	$17.95	$22.07
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	6,198	4,723
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 34%	High School Diploma, 50%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

Optical dispenser vs bench optician salary

Optical dispensers and bench opticians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Optical Dispenser	Bench Optician
Average salary	$37,333	$45,915
Salary range	Between $11,000 And $116,000	Between $18,000 And $117,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between optical dispenser and bench optician education

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

	Optical Dispenser	Bench Optician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 34%	High School Diploma, 50%
Most common major	Physics	Medical Technician
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Optical dispenser vs bench optician demographics

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

	Optical Dispenser	Bench Optician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 42.7% Female, 57.3%	Male, 42.9% Female, 57.1%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 8.1% White, 69.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	13%	13%

Differences between optical dispenser and bench optician duties and responsibilities

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.

Bench optician example responsibilities.

Manage appointments and appointment reminders, checking in/out patients, check insurance eligibility.
Work with multiple optometrists to solve patient issues including inaccurate optical measurements, lens adaptations, and overall patient satisfaction.
Determine clients' current lens prescriptions, when necessary, using lensometers or lens analyzers and clients' eyeglasses.

Optical dispenser vs bench optician skills

Common optical dispenser skills

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

Common bench optician skills

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Optical Dispenser
Optical Dispenser vs Bench Optician

Updated January 8, 2025

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