Opticians
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Job description
These individuals advise the clientele in the choice of glasses and contact lenses, following the optometrist’s prescription. They adjust, evaluate, and care for visual comfort by judging specific and personalized vision needs. They arrange for the production of eyeglasses and contact lenses and may manufacture eyeglass frames. They are self-employed or work in businesses that sell optical products.
Environment
- Controlled ambient temperature
- Equipment, machinery, tools
Main tasks
- Determine eyeglass or lens specifications based on a prescription.
- Analyze client’s glasses or lenses.
- Measure eye curvature, pupil spacing, and face width.
- Helping customers choose eyewear and informing them about materials, frames, coatings, etc.
- Educate customers about the use and care of contact lenses and adjust them as needed.
- Select frames to suit individual needs.
- Grind, polish, sharpen, and bevel the lenses before inserting them into the frame.
- Fit glasses to people’s faces.
- Supervise or direct, as required, the activities of students and other opticians.
Hourly wage
The hourly wage is calculated by averaging wages from 2022 to 2024.- Minimum
- $17.00
- Median
- $30.00
- Maximum
- $36.50
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Les 2 champs de sélection ci-dessous vous permettent de comparer 2 régions. Les données des régions seront automatiquement mises à jour à la sélection. Par défaut, la province de Québec est sélectionnée pour la première région.
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Job prospects
All of Québec
Non available
Limited
Good
Very good
Very good
All of Québec
Non available
Limited
Good
Very good
Non available
Total jobs for 2023
All of Québec
2,000
All of Québec
na
Gender distribution
All of Québec
Not available.
- 78.5% Female
- 21.5% Male
Not available.
- 78.5% Female
- 21.5% Male
Job types
All of Québec
Not available.
- Full time
- Part time
Not available.
- Full time
- Part time
Yearly wage on 2020
All of Québec
$49,200
All of Québec
Other characteristics
All of Québec
- Non traditional for men
- None
All of Québec
- Non traditional for men
- None
Sectors of activity
All of Québec
Not available.
-
NAICS 44, 4549% of jobs
-
NAICS 621, 622, 62349% of jobs
-
NAICS 3392% of jobs
-
NAICS 5413, 54141% of jobs
-
NAICS 6241% of jobs
-
Others-2% of jobs
All of Québec
Not available.
-
NAICS 44, 4549% of jobs
-
NAICS 621, 622, 62349% of jobs
-
NAICS 3392% of jobs
-
NAICS 5413, 54141% of jobs
-
NAICS 6241% of jobs
-
Others-2% of jobs
Training and requirements
Formation
Most training programs are offered in French only.
College
DCS in techniques d'orthèses visuelles (Changement de nom pour Optique et lunetterie, à compter de l'hiver 2024)
Code : 160A0
Placement rate: 92.5%
7.5% of graduates pursue further studies
Also required
- Membership in the Ordre des opticiens d’ordonnances du Québec (Quebec Order of Dispensing Opticians) to use the title and practice the profession of dispensing optician.
Main skills and characteristics
Skills
- Data collection
- Oral expression
- Active listening
- Reading comprehension
- Information processing
- Service oriented
- Critical thought
- Written expression
- Social perception
- Judgment and decision-making
- Persuasion
- Active learning
- Coordination
- Result evaluation
- Time management
Abilities
- Oral comprehension
- Verbal skills
- Near vision
- Speech clarity
- Written comprehension
- Written expression
- Speech recognition
- Digital dexterity
- Deductive reasoning
- Awareness of issues
- Hand-arm stability
- Classification
- Manual dexterity
- Information organization
- Selective attention
- Idea generation
- Colour perception and distinction
- Inductive reasoning
Knowledge and attributes
- Capacity to work under pressure
- Diplomacy
- Attention to detail
- Respect standards and regulations
- Assiduity and punctuality
- Sense of observation
- Knowledge of biology
- Impeccable appearance
- Patience
Interests
- Direct, organize, and manage
- Work in sales or client service
- Create, design
- Make, build, install
- Self-employment
- Work manually
- Assist and advise
Personality profiles (RIASEC)
- Investigative
- People with this profile prefer relying on theoretical knowledge before acting. They like observation, analysis and problem solving.
- Enterprising
- People with this profile prefer having responsibilities, influencing others and responding to challenges.
- Realistic
- People with this profile prefer carrying out concrete tasks and being physically involved in what they do.
Official name of the NOC 32100
Opticians
Job titles
- Dispensing optician
- Dispensing optician student
- Managing optician
- Apprentice optician
- Optician
- Contact lens fitter
- Eyeglasses fitter
- Eyeglasses frame fitter
- Optical device dispenser
- Ophthalmic device dispenser
- Contact lens dispenser
- Student optician
- Licensed optician
- Licensed dispensing optician
- Licensed contact lens practitioner
- Contact lens practitioner
- Contact lens technician
- Visual orthesis technician
Skill type
Health
Last update: January 29, 2026
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