Will “Optical Assistant” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔
71% Chance of Automation
“Optical Assistant” will maybe be replaced by robots.
This job is ranked #391 out of #702. A higher ranking (i.e., a lower number) means the job is less likely to be replaced.
Care to share? Click for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or XING. 👍
Job Description
Design, measure, fit, and adapt lenses and frames for client according to written optical prescription or specification. Assist client with inserting, removing, and caring for contact lenses. Assist client with selecting frames. Measure customer for size of eyeglasses and coordinate frames with facial and eye measurements and optical prescription. Prepare work order for optical laboratory containing instructions for grinding and mounting lenses in frames. Verify exactness of finished lens spectacles. Adjust frame and lens position to fit client. May shape or reshape frames. Includes contact lens opticians.
Job Details
- The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 29-2081.00
- The Mean Annual Wage in the U.S. is $ 37,860.00
- The Mean Hourly Wage is $ 18.00
- Currently, there are 75,270 people on this job
☝️ Information based on the reference occupation “Opticians, Dispensing”.
Also Known As…
- Opticians, Dispensing
- Optometric Technician
- Optometric Assistant
- Optician
- Optical Technician
- Ophthalmic Dispenser
- Licensed Optician
- Licensed Dispensing Optician (LDO)
- Dispensing Optician
- Contact Lens Technician
- Certified Optician
- Optician Apprentice
- Optical Manager
- Optical Dispenser
- Licensed Optical Dispenser
- Eyeglass Fitter
- Dispensing Optician Apprentice
- Dispensing and Measuring Optician
- Contact Lens Fitter
Tasks for “Optical Assistant”
- Heat, shape, or bend plastic or metal frames to adjust eyeglasses to fit clients, using pliers and hands.
- Assist clients in selecting frames according to style and color, and ensure that frames are coordinated with facial and eye measurements and optical prescriptions.
- Grind lens edges, or apply coatings to lenses.
- Assemble eyeglasses by cutting and edging lenses, and fitting the lenses into frames.
- Fabricate lenses to meet prescription specifications.
- Perform administrative duties such as tracking inventory and sales, submitting patient insurance information, and performing simple bookkeeping.
- Obtain a customer's previous record, or verify a prescription with the examining optometrist or ophthalmologist.
- Recommend specific lenses, lens coatings, and frames to suit client needs.
- Supervise the training of student opticians.
- Order and purchase frames and lenses.
- Measure clients' bridge and eye size, temple length, vertex distance, pupillary distance, and optical centers of eyes, using measuring devices.
- Verify that finished lenses are ground to specifications.
- Maintain records of customer prescriptions, work orders, and payments.
- Evaluate prescriptions in conjunction with clients' vocational and avocational visual requirements.
- Determine clients' current lens prescriptions, when necessary, using lensometers or lens analyzers and clients' eyeglasses.
- Instruct clients in how to wear and care for eyeglasses.
- Repair damaged frames.
- Show customers how to insert, remove, and care for their contact lenses.
- Sell goods such as contact lenses, spectacles, sunglasses, and other goods related to eyes in general.
- Arrange and maintain displays of optical merchandise.
- Prepare work orders and instructions for grinding lenses and fabricating eyeglasses.
Related Technology & Tools
- Flat nose pliers
- Contact lens thickness gauges
- Bracing pliers
- Snellen eye charts
- Desktop computers
- End piece pliers
- Personal computers
- Millimeter rules
- Autorefractors
- Optical cutting pliers
- Digital pupilometers
- Phillips head screwdrivers
- Pickup screwdrivers
- Angling pliers
- Lens files
- Nose pad adjusting pliers
- Snipe nose pliers
- Optical screwdrivers
- Screw-holding tweezers
- Digital calipers
- Frame warmers
- Laptop computers
- Bushing pullers
- Pupillometers
- Optometric lensometers
- Dial calipers
- Focimeters
- Hex wrenches
- Chain nose pliers
- Half-round files
- Hollow snipe pliers
- Lens clocks
- Credit card processing machines
- Cold-bend pliers
- Contact lens tweezers
- Lens analyzers
- Cash registers
- Straight screwdrivers
- Lens aligning pliers
- Diversified Ophthalmics Practice Maximus
- First Insight MaximEyes
- EMRlogic Systems ENTERPRISE Visions
- Insight Software My Vision Express
- Cygnet Infotech Optifocus
- Specialist Data Solutions OctoPlus
- HealthLine Systems Eyecom
- EZ-Zone Optizone Enterprise
- Compulink Eyecare Advantage
- OfficeMate Software Solutions OfficeMate
- Microsoft Word
- Point of sale POS software
- Microsoft Office
- Intuit QuickBooks
- Microsoft Excel