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Dispensing Opticians

Dispensing opticians supply, fit and service spectacles, contact lenses and other optical aids in accordance with a prescription from an optician or optometrist.

Wages

New workers
AVERAGE
Experienced
£13,721
£24,349
£36,073

New workers start around £13,721. Normal pay is £24,349 per year.
Highly experienced workers can earn up to £36,073.

Available jobs

In the past year there were 10,363 vacancies for this type of job

-2.33%

Projected job growth over the next 8 years

Related courses

People work towards these careers by taking these courses at college and uni.

What they do most days?

  • Fits spectacles and advises patient on lens care and any other difficulties likely to be experienced.

  • Ensures that completed spectacles conform to specification and fit the patient correctly and comfortably.

  • Prepares detailed instructions for workshop.

  • Advises patient on lens type and choice of spectacle frames.

  • Interprets prescription and measures patient’s face to determine distance between pupil centres, height of bridge of nose, etc..

Hard Skills

Hard skills are specific, learnable, measurable, often industry or occupation-specific abilities related to a position.

Skills are ranked based on the number of job adverts that list them as required skills.

  • Booking (Sales)

  • Medical Prescription

  • Contact Lenses

  • Setting Appointments

  • Marketing

  • Look And Feel

  • Aftersales

  • Selling Techniques

  • Sales Prospecting

  • Optometry

Soft Skills

Soft skills can be self-taught and usually do not necessitate a certain completed level of education.

Skills are ranked based on the number of job adverts that list them as required skills.

  • Customer Service

  • Collections

  • Communication

  • Detail Oriented

  • Teamwork

  • Sales

  • Administrative Functions

  • Management

  • Enthusiasm

  • Mathematics

How do I get a job like this?

People in these types of job started their career paths after studying courses like the ones below.

Routes to this career

See all

Ophthalmic Dispensing

Canterbury Christ Church University

BSc (Hons) · 1 Year · Full-time · Canterbury · 09/2025

Tariff points: N/A

Orthoptics

Glasgow Caledonian University

BSc (Hons) · 4 Years · Full-time · Glasgow · 15/09/2025

Tariff points: 102/112

Operating Department Practice

Anglia Ruskin University

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Cambridge · 15/09/2025

Tariff points: 96/96

Operating Department Practice

Edge Hill University

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Ormskirk · 09/2025

Tariff points: 104/112

Operating Department Practice

Northumbria University, Newcastle

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Newcastle upon Tyne · 09/2025

Tariff points: 112/112

Operating Department Practice

University of Leicester

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Leicester · 15/09/2025

Tariff points: 112/112

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