Optical dispenser vs dispensing optician apprentice

The differences between optical dispensers and dispensing optician apprentices can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a dispensing optician apprentice has an average salary of $48,535, which is higher than the $37,333 average annual salary of an optical dispenser.

The top three skills for an optical dispenser include american board, ABO and insurance coverage. The most important skills for a dispensing optician apprentice are customer service, , and .

Optical dispenser vs dispensing optician apprentice overview

	Optical Dispenser	Dispensing Optician Apprentice
Yearly salary	$37,333	$48,535
Hourly rate	$17.95	$23.33
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	6,198	9,965
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 34%	High School Diploma, 23%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

Optical dispenser vs dispensing optician apprentice salary

Optical dispensers and dispensing optician apprentices have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Optical Dispenser	Dispensing Optician Apprentice
Average salary	$37,333	$48,535
Salary range	Between $11,000 And $116,000	Between $24,000 And $97,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between optical dispenser and dispensing optician apprentice education

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

	Optical Dispenser	Dispensing Optician Apprentice
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 34%	High School Diploma, 23%
Most common major	Physics	Electrical Engineering
Most common college	Duke University	University of Pennsylvania

Optical dispenser vs dispensing optician apprentice demographics

Here are the differences between optical dispensers' and dispensing optician apprentices' demographics:

	Optical Dispenser	Dispensing Optician Apprentice
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 42.7% Female, 57.3%	Male, 57.9% Female, 42.1%
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 dispensing optician apprentice 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.

Dispensing optician apprentice example responsibilities.

Follow HIPPA policies for disclosing patient information.
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.

Optical dispenser vs dispensing optician apprentice skills

Common optical dispenser skills

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

Common dispensing optician apprentice skills

Customer Service, 100%

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Optical Dispenser
Optical Dispenser vs Dispensing Optician Apprentice

Updated January 8, 2025

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