Optician/Technician Program Career Information
Employment as an optometric technician or optician involves a wide range of duties. Here are the most common duties indicated in a 2010 survey:
• spectacle lens verification
• preliminary exam testing
• tonometry
• contact lens ordering & dispensing
• frame dispensing, adjusting and repair
• frame selection
• visual field testing
• office management
The Market
Most opticians and optometric technicians are employed in the optical industry or by optometrists, opticians, and ophthalmologists. Graduates may also work for an optical laboratory or for a lens, frame, contact lens, or instrument company. The U.S. Department of Labor has listed this job category as excellent for the next several years. It is anticipated that the job opportunities and placement rate will be excellent for students completing either track of the program.
Demand and Salary
The demand for skilled personnel in the ophthalmic field is very high. Graduates of the IU School of Optometry 2-year degree Optician/Technician Program consistently report high levels of satisfaction with the flexibility the profession offers.
According to a July 2010 survey of Optician/
Technician alumni, 75% of responding graduates
work for an “eye doctor” – an optometrist (OD)
and/or ophthalmologist (MD). These graduates
average an annual salary of $39,800 yr/$19.13 hr
based on a 40-hour week. Reported entry level
salaries were approximately $25,000 to $30,000 a
year. Other graduates work in optical labs, in retail
sales, or in schools of optometry and have the potential
to earn higher salaries.
Of the Optician/Technician graduates who reported their benefits, 65% receive paid health insurance. Nearly all report receiving some paid time off, whether designated for holidays, etc., or as a pool of days that can be used at the employee's discretion.
Other benefits may include a uniform allowance, eye exams and glasses or contacts at cost, and paid continuing education.
Contact Information
For more information about the 2 semester certificate track or Two-Year associate degree track for the Optician/Technician Program at Indiana University contact:
Indiana University School of Optometry Optician/Technician Program
Director, Sandra Pickel, ABOC, CPOT
800 East Atwater Avenue
Bloomington, Indiana 47405-3680
812-855-1917
Email: iubopt@indiana.edu