The eyecare industry has a lot of great professional potential for ambitious, hard-working individuals. One potential career path is becoming a dispensing optician. A career in dispensing optometry can be both rewarding and profitable; let’s look at what this career path entails, how you pursue it, and the opportunities this profession presents, including becoming a Pearle Vision franchisee.
Defining the Role
A dispensing optician is a professional trained to provide patients with prescription eyeglasses and contact lenses. While you may not be allowed to write prescriptions as an optician, you’ll fill prescriptions provided by optometrists, as well as use your in-depth knowledge of eyewear products and eyecare to provide for the needs of eyecare patients. Opticians perform a wide variety of services, which may include:
- Providing patients with advice on eyewear selection and eyecare
- Measuring patients for corrective lenses or contact lenses
- Fitting corrective lenses to frames
- Repairing broken eyewear
- Managing inventory and stock
When you become an optician, you can become a dual licensed optician, meaning you will be licensed to dispense both corrective eyewear and contact lenses. The ability to provide patients with both options is helpful in fulfilling your paients’ preferences in eyecare.
Becoming a Dispensing Optician
Obtaining an optician license is relatively straightforward. First, you need to obtain a high school diploma or a GED. Next, you should pursue professional certification or an associate degree from a recognized institute, such as a trade school or college. Once you’ve completed the required education, you can apply for an entry level position with a business in the eyewear/eyecare industry to get crucial on-the-job experience. Keep in mind that licensing requirements vary by state, so it’s important to research the specific requirements in your area before you jump into the process.
Once you’ve had a chance to develop the skills necessary to perform the regular duties, you can apply for an optician’s license, which is obtained by passing a licensing exam. With a license, you can now apply for a dispensing optician position, after which you should pursue continuing education as needed to maintain your license.
Optician Career Opportunities
There are a growing number of jobs available to opticians. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in August 2024 there were 77,300 optician jobs in the U.S. in 2023, and that number was forecast to grow by 3% (about 2,300) by 2033.
There are a variety of professional options available to opticians. For ambitious entrepreneurs, managing your own practice by purchasing a franchise like Pearle Vision is a great opportunity. As an optometry franchise owner, you’ll have the autonomy to manage your own practice the way you want, within brand standards. Your franchisor will provide you with a proven business model, as well as provide valuable training, support and advice.
You’ll also have the chance to network with other optical professionals among your fellow franchisees, and will receive assistance from your franchisor, such as marketing services, site selection assistance, and vendor selection assistance.
Lastly, a franchise like Pearle Vision is well-suited for growth, with a scalable business model that allows for expansion of your practice and opening multiple locations.
Additional career options for opticians include:
- Optical research and development
- Optical education
- Independent optical consulting
- Lens laboratory technician
- Eyewear sales representative
Pursue an Ambitious Position as a Pearle Vision Franchisee
We welcome the opportunity to offer you an alternative to becoming a retail optometrist or retail optician. Our franchise offers you freedom you’d be hard pressed to find working for a corporation, while giving you support and guidance that you wouldn’t get operating an independent practice. We welcome ambitious go-getters (alternate suggestion: self-starters) who want to provide quality patient and customer care. Submit a franchising form today to learn more about your franchising opportunity with Pearle Vision.
