Ophthalmic Optician, Society to Advance Opticianry
That's not something I ever would have expected to see.
It makes perfect sense. The extremely low wages cause huge financial stress at home. By comparison, the relative low stress level at work makes it seem like a great job.
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Gee, I never realized how much I was overpaying my opticians. $35k? What a bargain!
Ophthalmic Optician, Society to Advance Opticianry
wtf
Forget the article....read the comments! (Looks like the Optoboarders have started posting)
Ron 1 hour ago 0
1
OMG: I can tell you that after 40 years of working as an optician the stress level of dealing with people was intense much of the time. There is little job security and many jobs are part time. License demands require continuing education that the optician pays for .I never met an optician who was happy with his or her work and I've met many as I've been active in my state and local societies.
Ophthalmic Optician, Society to Advance Opticianry
Alright fess up! Who posted comments on that article and what did you say?
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I wonder who Capt. Ron is!
Eyes wide open
He was in the wrong circles - NEVER met one who was happy? Poor guy :(
Quite an interesting read.....the comments that is, the article made me giggle!
It's unfortunate but all the "opticians" who are complaining about how terrible their job is, are really not complaining about being an optician at all, they are complaining about being corporate tools. Working for a retail optical is only tangentially being an optician. One is really just a salesperson (and that's exactly all the company wants from you), and the sprocket you happen to be selling is eyeglasses. All the downsides of that are the downsides of retail sales, not of being an optician.
I spent years in that scene. That was my first experience with the optical business, and like the commenters, I thought that was being an optician. But now I know my ability to be an optician in that setting was very limited. There were only a handful of products at my disposal, picked and private label rebranded by corporate, and every customer had to be wedged into one of those options. As far as product knowledge it would be more challenging to work at Radio Shack.
Opticians will never be free of dealing with the public and wrangling with fees, but in a decent office where you can gain skills and use them, and build relationships with patients instead of manning a revolving door of one-shot customers, most of those retail headaches melt away.
I agree with you Daniel Livingston. Private practices or owning an optique are very rewarding and good place to learn many life/business skills. The pay isn't very attractive in todays economy unless maybe you a an owner of successful optique. However, I don't think that opticianry should be the "most recommended job" either. Maybe moderately recommended but not #1
Thanks Erich. It is telling and interesting that even if the top ranking is inflated, it is the best ranked for the (meager) pay. Certainly being an optician has a limited monetary ceiling, but unspoilt by corporate retailing it can be very satisfying.
I wonder how many successful optical owners still really get to be opticians. I'm sure the pressures and concerns of business ownership pretty heavily eclipse the daily work of an optician. On Optiboard we enjoy the insights of many skilled owners who still get their hands deep into opticianry, but my experience suggests such pros are rare gems far from the norm.
I would recommend opticianry to friends, but only if they prioritize fulfillment. I am fortunate to have trained and work with two opticians who like their jobs (love is a pretty strong statement) and have found fulfillment in it as I do.
Regardless of the accuracy of the poll, it's nice to see our more obscure discipline get some positive light.
The pay is limited by the optician's abilities. These abilities are not limited to their skill set, but also their ability to position themselves in the marketplace to get the best pay possible. I know of at least 3 Optiboarders that make well over $80k, and I'm sure there are many more folks like them out there. (I prefer to associate with higher paid opticians, so I have a better chance of not having to pay my bar tab.)
Ophthalmic Optician, Society to Advance Opticianry
Beware of this poster!
He doesn't drink and usually picks up the tab, so he hasn't been forthright to this point.
Optician's who experience an increase in VA at the dispensing table with a customer
could have been poled that day.
Other than that,,, ya got me?
Has CNN ever been accused of providing false info?
Amen James! But what are you talking about him picking up the tab? Remember the last time we were with him, he got drunk on O'Doul's and stuck me with the tab! We had to carry him out of the bar, escort him to his room, change him into his SpiderMan PJ's and sing Old Cotton Fields Back Home to him until he went to sleep!!!
No further comment.
Ophthalmic Optician, Society to Advance Opticianry
...and that my undrunk friend is your peers.
here's a direct quote from the article that can not possibly be true, making this story either bogus or just horrendous journalism:
Perks of the job include below average stress and above average upward mobility and flexibility.
MOST opticians i know are very stressed and have little to no real upward mobility
Do you consider this true for people working just as dispensing opticians and not also as business owners/partners or managers? Certainly as an owner or a senior manager that pay is expected, but the pay would be more for those responsibilities than being an optician. There are always the exceptionally talented (also likely Optiboarders) who break far out of the norm, but I would be surprised and impressed to see an employer paying a full time dispensing optician without other responsibilities that kind of salary. (Though who am I kidding, we all know there is no such thing as a "dispensing optician without other responsibilities".)
Fingers crossed though, because at least that would mean I have a lot of room to grow before I hit the ceiling!
Exchange the word "optician", for "employee". If the employee brings value to the business, any business, and has the ability to demonstrate their abilities to other employees, they will make more than others. There is a manager at the local Burger King that makes $68k, in a market where the average fast food mgr makes $45k. I know him because I saw him start at Arby's move over to Wendy's, and now he's at BK. He turned each place around, cleaned them up, boosted profits, and got scooped up by the competition. He's not long for this market, as he will soon be a regional manager.
As far as the pay for managers, yes, I was referring to a manager type position. I do, however, also know of opticians that don't manage that make similar incomes, but the have a low base salary, and make it up in commissions, but that's another story...
Ophthalmic Optician, Society to Advance Opticianry
I agree, like any profession there are several factors that affect an individual's ability to earn a competitive salary. I have seen offices that pay their opticians less than $30,000 per year while others pay over $50,000 per year despite experience or credentials. In most cases, I think it comes down to the amount of revenue that an individual brings in and how much the business owner values the optician's contributions. The numbers provided at http://www.opticiantraining.org/optician-salary/ are reasonable for those who are wanting to know what an average salary looks like across the nation, but are not necessarily representative of what an individual can earn over time in the industry. Those who are new to the field must carefully consider their unique situation and geographic location before making assumptions about what they will be paid.
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