Show me the money...

What are typical optician salaries? Do some companies pay a lot more for this position than others? What does a top earner make in this field?

What skills should you learn to increase your salary?

YES THIS INFORMATION WAS VERY HELPFUL. I HAD BEEN WONDERING ABOUT LICENSING AND SALARY. I AM CURRENTLY TRAINING AT A PRIVATE PRACTICE AND WOULD LIKE TO FURTHER MY CARRER. I AM IN MY FORTIES AND HAVE BEEN A HAIR SUCCESSFUL HAIR STYLIST FOR THE PAST 20 AND AM FORCED TO LEAVE DUE TO ALLERGIES.

GRETCHEN NELSON in Minneapolis, Minnesota said: YES THIS INFORMATION WAS VERY HELPFUL. I HAD BEEN WONDERING ABOUT LICENSING AND SALARY. I AM CURRENTLY TRAINING AT A PRIVATE PRACTICE AND WOULD LIKE TO FURTHER MY CARRER. I AM IN MY FORTIES AND HAVE BEEN A HAIR SUCCESSFUL HAIR STYLIST FOR THE PAST 20 AND AM FORCED TO LEAVE DUE TO ALLERGIES.

Save yourself and find something else. I am tops in the field with certification and spent 4 solid years honing and certifying only to find out that there is an over saturated market of us out here and
doctors are notorious for low pay and chintsy benefits if any.
This was my second career brainstorm and I very much regret it going into latter middle age as I see no way to support myself in the long run. Plus it is a retail industry so weekends, nights and on your feet just like hairdressing. Run darlin run.

ABOC Optician in California said: Save yourself and find something else. I am tops in the field with certification and spent 4 solid years honing and certifying only to find out that there is an over saturated market of us out here and
doctors are notorious for low pay and chintsy benefits if any.
This was my second career brainstorm and I very much regret it going into latter middle age as I see no way to support myself in the long run. Plus it is a retail industry so weekends, nights and on your feet just like hairdressing. Run darlin run.

I agree to this one. I'm younger then most other opticians. And I'm working towards the masters program. And I'm well verse in all avenues of being an optician. It's a complete joke of a job these days. Opticians in general have become lazy and as a profession haven't stood up for themselves. So O.D and M.D just trample all over us. And retail chains have dumbed down our profession. So now every gimp with broken English can pull up an optical job at Lenscrafters. Whom which only dispense their own crap for glasses. And old lens designs and poly for everyone!!!
Being in the San Francisco Bay area, I've noticed the pay is rather predictable. Dr.'s that have a hard time keeping staff due to numerous reasons, tend to pay the most. But I mind you. You will have so many headaches by days end. And they throw it in your lap b/c they pay you. It's modern day slavery with a salary. Some will pay 15hr. while the better pay is 18-22hr.
Obtaining your ABO in the field really only shows you put in some time. I'm surprised they don't sale ABO certificates at Wal-Mart. I've worked with a bunch of people with ABO's and they can't do the little of things like minimal lens blank size. And prism goes over everyone's head these days.
Personally, I'd tell ya to put your efforts into a different field. For the amount of energy you burn doing this stuff, you could easily make way more money and less frustration.

thanks for the insight, I have currently gone back to doing hair at an Aveda salon. And liking were I'm at.

Also depends what state you're in. An optician's license is sometimes more difficult to get in a licensed state. Naturally there's always a shortage of opticians in these states and that causes salaries to rise. In jersey opticians make an average of $48K to $65K, depending on the job. A general manager at a chain would earn the latter including incentives.

CURRENTLY EARNING 35 AN HR IN A PRIVATE MEDICAL PRACTICE IN NJ...I DO EVERYTHING SOUP TO NUTS

I don't know what the manager gets in Dothan however I can tell you what the person who does all the work gets paid. Better not. . . . you would laugh honestly Mc Donald's pays better. RUN away from this job

I made $45K last year as a licensed optician in Washington state. I love the job, never gets boring. Being licensed makes the difference in pay and makes you in demand.

I am in training at the local tech school to get my degree. I am looking to find work in the orlando, fl area. Are there any certain websites out there that have listings? I cant seem to find very much to apply to??????? Anyone know what opticians are making in Orlando?

ANDY said: CURRENTLY EARNING 35 AN HR IN A PRIVATE MEDICAL PRACTICE IN NJ...I DO EVERYTHING SOUP TO NUTS

Wow! Do you mind me asking, where at? The highest I've come across is $20/hr. Does anyone know any places in N.J. that make more than that($20/hr)? I have ten years experience working for (the same) small, private Optician who sadly retired and there just wasn't enough of his business left to take over. My biggest question, who's better to work for, private practice or chains-I just don't know where to begin. Thanks in advance to any responses.

When I quit working as an Optician/Manager for For Eyes Optical in Miami I was making a little over $50,000 a year.
$20hr, plus commission. I had a busy store and dealt with the day to day annoyances like any other job has. I can say that For Eyes Optical is a WONDERFUL place to work. They are privately owned by Licensed Opticians, and have been since the start, which was decades ago. I worked 40 hours a week, and pretty much made my own schedule as I needed.
The area manager was a great man and showed his managers and employees nothing but respect.
I had been to weekend long manager meetings with the owners themselves, yes, they went out to dinner with us, they laughed with us and knew every manager in South Florida by their first name. GREAT GREAT GREAT people!
If I ever go back to work in the field they will be the first people I call.

Katie in Saint Petersburg, Florida said: When I quit working as an Optician/Manager for For Eyes Optical in Miami I was making a little over $50,000 a year.
$20hr, plus commission. I had a busy store and dealt with the day to day annoyances like any other job has. I can say that For Eyes Optical is a WONDERFUL place to work. They are privately owned by Licensed Opticians, and have been since the start, which was decades ago. I worked 40 hours a week, and pretty much made my own schedule as I needed.
The area manager was a great man and showed his managers and employees nothing but respect.
I had been to weekend long manager meetings with the owners themselves, yes, they went out to dinner with us, they laughed with us and knew every manager in South Florida by their first name. GREAT GREAT GREAT people!
If I ever go back to work in the field they will be the first people I call.

Why'd you leave then!!?????

Bones in Brampton, Ontario said: Why'd you leave then!!?????

I quit to be a stay at home mom.

I just started working at a chain in Oregon.. called Binyons.. I would like to get certified as an optician. Does anyone know if Oregon Opticians make okay money? Can someone give me examples of their pay and how long it took them to get there.. and what their commission is like and how does it effect their yearly wages.. Thanks!! Oh, and if anyone knows what a optical tech or optician makes at a Costco makes would be REALLY helpful.

Host said: What are typical optician salaries? Do some companies pay a lot more for this position than others? What does a top earner make in this field?

What skills should you learn to increase your salary?

I would be curious ono what opinions there are on the optician industry in relation to what the internet has to offer

Dimitri
lenses.foreyes-store.com/index.html

I can't believe what I am reading. I have been working as an Optician for the last 4 years. I absolutely love my job. Of course I am not trying to get rich off of my Optician salary. My co-workers are wonderful. We are small and all very close. I love it. The atmosphere is great. Don't get me wrong we all have our ups and downs, but we are professionals. Our doctor(she) is really cool, as well as everyone in the office. We have fun and don't let the craziness get us down. I think that your office is what you make of it. If it is unorganized and has alot of tension then if will be miserable. Just Life!