Salary Question

**s-man-optiker** · 07-21-2007, 01:36 PM

This seemed like the best forum to post my question. I'm currently working in Germany on a U.S. military installation (I'm a civilian, veteran).
I'm looking to relocate to the U.S. and was wondering if anyone could throw out any average numbers for the southeast. I'm ABOC w/ 2.5 years experience. Currently I'm paid 9.44 an hour, I'm told the pay should be considerably higher in the states. I'd like to hear from some of you on this. I don't need specifics, if you'd like you can just let me know if you think I'm underpaid. Also, you may need more info from me in order to help - is so, please ask. Thanks!

**gemstone** · 07-21-2007, 04:01 PM

Originally Posted by s-man-optiker

This seemed like the best forum to post my question. I'm currently working in Germany on a U.S. military installation (I'm a civilian, veteran).
I'm looking to relocate to the U.S. and was wondering if anyone could throw out any average numbers for the southeast. I'm ABOC w/ 2.5 years experience. Currently I'm paid 9.44 an hour, I'm told the pay should be considerably higher in the states. I'd like to hear from some of you on this. I don't need specifics, if you'd like you can just let me know if you think I'm underpaid. Also, you may need more info from me in order to help - is so, please ask. Thanks!

Where in the Southeast?
You'd be doing good to get that without a license. Plan on getting one and after that you will do much better than what you are getting now. An ABO, I believe will let you skip a couple sections on the NC exam, but you'd still have to put in the time somewhere(optician school and or apprenticeship).

**meloncollee** · 07-22-2007, 09:49 AM

If you represent yourself well and you know your business, you should make (at any large company optical) at least 11 bux an hour (up to 12?), to start. Those are corporate stores with yucky retail hours but better pay. You can also take your NCLE if you know your biz with contacts. It does take 2 plus years to apprentice here, but if you come with established references and letters you might be able to get some of that knocked off the state of your choice, I have no idea if you can, but worth the try for a vet. The hardest state to get certified in is Florida, in the SE. I don't know much about NC. I am lic in Fl and Ga. Good luck, my advice is to get out of retail, learn how to refract, and get your tech certifications, some places will train.

**MarcE** · 07-22-2007, 08:18 PM

Originally Posted by gemstone

Where in the Southeast?
You'd be doing good to get that without a license. Plan on getting one and after that you will do much better than what you are getting now. An ABO, I believe will let you skip a couple sections on the NC exam, but you'd still have to put in the time somewhere(optician school and or apprenticeship).

Are you kidding? I can't find anyone except a high-school kid that will work for less than $8/hr. Drug users get $7.50 at fast-food places. Act like you care, look professional, and do what you are told and I will pay $12. Have and ABO and attempt to sell a 2nd pair and you get $14. Take a little personal ownership over your job and decisions and try to learn something everyday and you get $16. Make good management decisions and meld your your co-workers into a team and you get $20. That's just under what a new college educated engineer can expect.

**gemstone** · 07-22-2007, 09:11 PM

Get that license.

**ziggy** · 07-23-2007, 09:39 AM

Originally Posted by s-man-optiker

This seemed like the best forum to post my question. I'm currently working in Germany on a U.S. military installation (I'm a civilian, veteran).
I'm looking to relocate to the U.S. and was wondering if anyone could throw out any average numbers for the southeast. I'm ABOC w/ 2.5 years experience. Currently I'm paid 9.44 an hour, I'm told the pay should be considerably higher in the states. I'd like to hear from some of you on this. I don't need specifics, if you'd like you can just let me know if you think I'm underpaid. Also, you may need more info from me in order to help - is so, please ask. Thanks!

Were you trained as an optician in the army or other branch? If so you would do your self some good to contact Ms. Kristi Ostrom at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. To the best of my knowledge, you may qualify for a bunch of credits. Having a degree in opticianry will allow to test for a state license(in most states). Good luck and welcome back state side.

**s-man-optiker** · 07-23-2007, 01:56 PM

Thanks to all for posting, actually I'm in Ms. Ostrom's program right now.
Once I finish the degree I can get my TN license if I have 2 letters of recommendation - that should be no problem. Thanks again.

**Keri** · 07-26-2007, 09:49 AM

I just passed the TN test for licensure! There are a lot of things that you have to get in order before you can take the test in Nashville! Like you have to be an apprentice for 3 years or have an associate's degree in Opticianry, pass both the ABO and NCLE, have 2 letters of recommendation, get fingerprinted, and then you have to pass the written part of the application over the TN laws and then you can sit for Licensure!

**patti** · 08-29-2007, 06:46 AM

In North Carolina a trained ABO Optician with an enthusiastic, energetic personality would be in the $14.00 to $15.00 per hour range. If you took the opticianary course at Durham tech, which takes about 2-1/2 years and then passed the state board your salary would go to $25.00

**Jan Post** · 08-29-2007, 09:34 AM

I have provide Burea of Labor Statistics for the trade of opticianry. Since I live in N.J. where the cost of living is one of the most expensive in the nation the wages are higher than the national average. To access your perticular state just click on the state button and look up your perticular state.

Link http://www.acinet.org/acinet/occ_rep...s=34&x=55&y=11

**Jan Post** · 08-29-2007, 09:55 AM

I have 16 years experience. If I were to move to Tennessee I would expect above the mean average(15 to 18 per hour) in that state to work as an optician. Naturally management should expect more with the added responsabilites. The mean average is for people with a license and five years work experience should expect the mean, more with more experience,less if you are just starting off. I have adjusted the link to get you to the State of Tennessee on the US Bureu of Labor Statistics, I find this a realistic site to your question. To the right of the scale lists the number of job openings expected to occur inthat state over the next year and in the years to come.

Link
http://www.acinet.org/acinet/occ_rep...ps=47&x=38&y=3