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Optical technician vs ophthalmic dispenser

The differences between optical technicians and ophthalmic dispensers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an ophthalmic dispenser has an average salary of $63,550, which is higher than the $36,908 average annual salary of an optical technician.

Optical technician vs ophthalmic dispenser overview

Optical TechnicianOphthalmic Dispenser
Yearly salary$36,908$63,550
Hourly rate$17.74$30.55
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs29,8663,326
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 32%Associate Degree, 50%
Average age4444
Years of experience--

Optical technician vs ophthalmic dispenser salary

Optical technicians and ophthalmic dispensers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Optical TechnicianOphthalmic Dispenser
Average salary$36,908$63,550
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $54,000Between $33,000 And $120,000
Highest paying CityHayward, CA-
Highest paying stateAlaska-
Best paying companyAMETEK-
Best paying industryTechnology-

Differences between optical technician and ophthalmic dispenser education

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

Optical TechnicianOphthalmic Dispenser
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 32%Associate Degree, 50%
Most common majorBusinessOphthalmic And Optometric Support Services
Most common collegeUniversity of Minnesota - Twin CitiesDuke University

Optical technician vs ophthalmic dispenser demographics

Here are the differences between optical technicians' and ophthalmic dispensers' demographics:

Optical TechnicianOphthalmic Dispenser
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 36.8% Female, 63.2%Male, 48.6% Female, 51.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 9.1% White, 62.3% 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 Percentage13%13%

Differences between optical technician and ophthalmic dispenser duties and responsibilities

Optical technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage high-end optical for private optometry office.
  • Manage payroll to correspond with allot labor allowance.
  • Maintain coating quality using adhesion testing and spectrophotometers, and manage coating hues and reflectance adjustments.
  • Develop and dispense RX eyewear.
  • Train associates to acquire and retain ABO certificate.
  • Generate (cut) prescription RX into lens blanks.
  • Show more

Ophthalmic dispenser example responsibilities.

  • Work with multiple optometrists to solve patient issues including inaccurate optical measurements, lens adaptations, and overall patient satisfaction.
  • Check insurance and submit claims (eyem and VSP).

Optical technician vs ophthalmic dispenser skills

Common optical technician skills
  • Patients, 86%
  • Chrome, 9%
  • Dexterity, 1%
  • CNC, 0%
  • Math, 0%
  • Optical Components, 0%
Common ophthalmic dispenser skills

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