Optician

Duties and responsibilities:

Opticians fit and dispense eyeglasses for patients based upon prescriptions written by ophthalmologists or optometrists. Optician’s help the customer’s select eyeglass frames and then measure their faces so that correct size frames can be ordered. They also measure the distance between the corneas of the eyes so that the lenses maybe correctly fitted in the frame. Some opticians may own their own retrial store or work for an optical store. Some also work for optometrists and ophthalmologists who sell glasses.

Average Salary: $19,000-$40,000

Educational Requirements:

Students should take high school courses in physics, algebra, mechanical drawing, and geometry.  A high school diploma or GED certificate is needed to begin training as an optician.  There are two types of training programs.  Students can either complete an approved two-year course at an school of opticianry, or they can complete an approved three year on-the-job apprenticeship.