Opticians, Dispensing
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 29-2081.00
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.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Moderate· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.24
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
Show 11 hidden tasks21 rated tasks · 10 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (47.6%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Maintain records of customer prescriptions, work orders, and payments.O*NET Task ID 4205 | 1.0 |
Perform administrative duties, such as tracking inventory and sales, submitting patient insurance information, and performing simple bookkeeping.O*NET Task ID 4206 | 1.0 |
Measure clients' bridge and eye size, temple length, vertex distance, pupillary distance, and optical centers of eyes, using measuring devices.O*NET Task ID 4201 | 0.5 |
Verify that finished lenses are ground to specifications.O*NET Task ID 4202 | 0.5 |
Assist clients in selecting frames according to style and color, and ensure that frames are coordinated with facial and eye measurements and optical prescriptions.O*NET Task ID 4204 | 0.5 |
Recommend specific lenses, lens coatings, and frames to suit client needs.O*NET Task ID 4207 | 0.5 |
Determine clients' current lens prescriptions, when necessary, using lensometers or lens analyzers and clients' eyeglasses.O*NET Task ID 4212 | 0.5 |
Obtain a customer's previous record, or verify a prescription with the examining optometrist or ophthalmologist.O*NET Task ID 4215 | 0.5 |
Arrange and maintain displays of optical merchandise.O*NET Task ID 4216 | 0.5 |
Order and purchase frames and lenses.O*NET Task ID 18551 | 0.5 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (21)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Measure clients' bridge and eye size, temple length, vertex distance, pupillary distance, and optical centers of eyes, using measuring devices. | Core |
| Verify that finished lenses are ground to specifications. | Core |
| Prepare work orders and instructions for grinding lenses and fabricating eyeglasses. | Core |
| Assist clients in selecting frames according to style and color, and ensure that frames are coordinated with facial and eye measurements and optical prescriptions. | Core |
| Maintain records of customer prescriptions, work orders, and payments. | Core |
| Perform administrative duties, such as tracking inventory and sales, submitting patient insurance information, and performing simple bookkeeping. | Core |
| Recommend specific lenses, lens coatings, and frames to suit client needs. | Core |
| Sell goods such as contact lenses, spectacles, sunglasses, and goods related to eyes, in general. | Core |
| Heat, shape, or bend plastic or metal frames to adjust eyeglasses to fit clients, using pliers and hands. | Core |
| Evaluate prescriptions in conjunction with clients' vocational and avocational visual requirements. | Core |
| Instruct clients in how to wear and care for eyeglasses. | Core |
| Determine clients' current lens prescriptions, when necessary, using lensometers or lens analyzers and clients' eyeglasses. | Core |
| Show customers how to insert, remove, and care for their contact lenses. | Core |
| Repair damaged frames. | Core |
| Obtain a customer's previous record, or verify a prescription with the examining optometrist or ophthalmologist. | Core |
| Arrange and maintain displays of optical merchandise. | Core |
| Fabricate lenses to meet prescription specifications. | Core |
| Grind lens edges, or apply coatings to lenses. | Core |
| Assemble eyeglasses by cutting and edging lenses, and fitting the lenses into frames. | Core |
| Supervise the training of student opticians. | Core |
| Order and purchase frames and lenses. | Core |
0.15/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Measure clients' bridge and eye size, temple length, vertex distance, pupillary distance, and optical centers of eyes, using measuring devices. | E0 none |
| Verify that finished lenses are ground to specifications. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Assist clients in selecting frames according to style and color, and ensure that frames are coordinated with facial and eye measurements and optical prescriptions. | E0 none |
| Heat, shape, or bend plastic or metal frames to adjust eyeglasses to fit clients, using pliers and hands. | E0 none |
| Determine clients' current lens prescriptions, when necessary, using lensometers or lens analyzers and clients' eyeglasses. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Show customers how to insert, remove, and care for their contact lenses. | E0 none |
| Repair damaged frames. | E0 none |
| Arrange and maintain displays of optical merchandise. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Fabricate lenses to meet prescription specifications. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Grind lens edges, or apply coatings to lenses. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Assemble eyeglasses by cutting and edging lenses, and fitting the lenses into frames. | E0 none |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 74K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 77K
- Change (2025–35)
- +4.2%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $47,260
- Typical education needed for entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24930 | 안경사 | This occupation is narrower | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 3254Dispensing Opticians
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Dispensing opticians design, fit and dispense optical lenses based on a prescription from an ophthalmologist or optometrist for the correction of reduced visual acuity. They service corrective eyeglasses, contact lenses, low-vision aids and other optical devices.
Tasks
- (a) examining and taking facial and eye measurements of clients for fitting of eyeglasses and other optical devices;
- (b) providing advice to clients with selection and maintenance of eyeglasses and frames, types of contact lenses and other optical devices for performance, safety, comfort and lifestyle;
- (c) interpreting optical prescriptions and preparing work order for optical laboratory for grinding and mounting of lenses in frames, preparation of contact lenses and other required work;
- (d) verifying exactness of finished optical appliances and devices to the original prescription and fit of clients.
Example occupations
Contact lens optician · Dispensing optician
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
ISCO-08 3254
- optical technicianESCO 3254.1.1
Optical technicians assemble, repair and design various parts of eyewear such as lenses, frames, patterns and eyewear. They cut, inspect, mount and polish all parts using various machinery and hand tools. Optical technicians shape, grind and coat lenses for prescription eyewear. They fit completed lenses into eyeglass frames. Optical technicians ensure that lenses conform to the dispensing optician’s, specialised doctor in ophtalmology's or optometrist's prescriptions. They may also work with other associated optical instrumentation and its maintenance.
- opticianESCO 3254.1
Opticians help to improve and correct an individual's vision according to prescriptions provided by a specialised doctor in ophthalmology or an optometrist. They fit spectacle lenses and frames, contact lenses, and other devices to the specifications of both the individual and the prescription. Opticians do not test patients vision nor write prescriptions for visual correction. Their scope of practice varies according to national regulations.
ESCO occupations that ESCO classifies under the ISCO-08 unit groups linked above; they are not matched to this occupation one by one.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| J1405 | Opticien / Opticienne | Same scopeprovisional |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 3324 | Técnicos en optometría | Same scope |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 82522 | Berufe in der Augenoptik - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Same scope |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 323 | 販売店員 | This occupation is narrower |
| 545 | 計量計測機器・光学機械器具組立従事者 | Related, not a match |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources