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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 10,308 vacancies for this type of job

-1.79%

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.

  • Medical Prescription

  • Contact Lenses

  • Booking (Sales)

  • Setting Appointments

  • Marketing

  • Look And Feel

  • Optics

  • Optometry

  • Selling Techniques

  • After Sales Support

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

  • Communication

  • Detail Oriented

  • Collections

  • Administrative Functions

  • Enthusiasm

  • Rapport Building

  • Teamwork

  • Sales

  • Management

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*

Bradford College

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

Tariff points: 64/64

Orthoptics

Glasgow Caledonian University

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

Tariff points: 102/112

Healthcare Professions' Support

Newham College of Further Education

HND · 4 Years · Part-time · London · 08/09/2025

Tariff points: 64/64

Operating Department Practice

Swansea University

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Blended learning (full-time) · Swansea · 09/2025

Tariff points: 104/104

Operating Department Practice

University of Leicester

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

Tariff points: 112/112

Operating Department Practice

Northumbria University, Newcastle

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

Tariff points: 112/112

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