Becoming an Optician in North Carolina
Opticians are employed in the vision care industry, working closely with customers to fill prescriptions, pick out and try on eyeglass frames and learn how to use new contact lenses.[En Español]
The need for opticians and other vision care professionals in North Carolina is strong. Opticians can be found working in a variety of different locations, including private ophthalmic practices, hospitals and retail optical chains, among others. If you love helping people and consider yourself to be a people-person, becoming a licensed optician in North Carolina would be a great career move.
Licensing for Opticians in North Carolina
There are currently three options for training to become an optician in North Carolina:
- Complete a three-and-a-half-year apprenticeship. The apprenticeship option incorporates an opticianry certification, which means you will meet all training and practical requirements upon completion.
- Complete an associate’s degree program. Two-year associate’s degree programs in North Carolina equip students with technical skills in all areas of opticianry by incorporating a practicum experience.
- Complete a certificate program in addition to North Carolina State Board‘s two-and-a-half-year apprenticeship.
After concluding an apprenticeship or successfully passing a degree program, you will need to complete a board-approved internship before applying for an optician license. Optician internships in North Carolina are required to be at least six months in length, authenticating all technical skills that were acquired during an apprenticeship or school program. The North Carolina State Board of Opticians lists all training requirements that must be met before applying for licensure.
Working opticians in North Carolina must be certified through the American Board of Opticianry (ABO), taking and passing both the ABO exam and the National Contact Lens Examiner’s (NCLE) exam. The licensure exam in North Carolina is offered just twice per year, in March and in October. Once you have received your license to practice as an optician it will remain valid for one year. License renewal can be done online if the renewal is completed before the expiration date.
North Carolina Optician Programs
Durham Technical Community College offers two optician programs to choose from, including:
- Associate’s degree in Opticianry. After completing this two-year program at DTCC, students will have satisfied all educational requirements established by the North Carolina State Board of Opticians and will be eligible to seek out and obtain an internship. This program also offers a student practicum that allows students to practice the skills they have learned while in the classroom.
- Optical Apprentice Program. While completing this certificate program, students will need to be registered as an apprentice with the North Carolina State Board of Opticians and complete a two-and-a-half-year apprenticeship to receive on-the-job training. Upon completion of this online course as well as the apprenticeship, students will be eligible to seek out a six-month internship, a requirement of licensure in North Carolina.
In addition to Durham Technical Community College, Penn Foster College offers an online Optician Exam Prep Career Diploma Program that can be completed in a little as seven months. Upon completion, students will be eligible to become an apprentice and enter the North Carolina State Board two-and-a-half-year apprenticeship program.
Job Outlook and Salaries for Opticians in North Carolina
The outlook for opticians in North Carolina is very strong. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were 1,770 people working as licensed opticians in North Carolina in 2018. Additionally, there were approximately 2,560 people employed as ophthalmic medical technicians and 1,230 employed optometrists in the same year. Employment as licensed opticians in North Carolina is expected to increase by 4 percent through 2028.
The average annual wage for licensed opticians in North Carolina was $42,250, or $20.31per hour, in 2020. Ophthalmic medical technicians made $37,100 annually, or $17.84 per hour, while optometrists made an average salary of $132,650 for the same year.
Salaries in North Carolina by Occupation
| Profession | Employment | Mean Hourly Wage | Mean Annual Wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opticians, Dispensing | 1,800 | $19.95 | $41,500 |
| Ophthalmic Medical Technicians | 2,340 | $16.92 | $35,190 |
| Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians | 400 | $13.51 | $28,090 |
| Optometrists | 940 | $66.25 | $137,810 |
Certified Dispensing Optician Salaries in North Carolina by Region
| Region | Total Employment | Mean Hourly Wage | Mean Annual Salary | 10% Percentile | 25% Percentile | Median | 75% Percentile | 90% Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asheville, NC | 150 | $22.39 | $46,580 | $24,590 | $28,340 | $40,060 | $55,680 | $93,090 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 580 | $19.06 | $39,650 | $28,520 | $32,870 | $37,900 | $46,800 | $54,960 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 120 | $20.44 | $42,520 | $26,080 | $29,660 | $43,650 | $53,850 | $60,320 |
| Fayetteville, NC | 50 | $16.97 | $35,300 | $24,650 | $27,130 | $31,070 | $41,510 | $54,900 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | 80 | $18.96 | $39,440 | $27,240 | $30,790 | $36,780 | $49,970 | $57,500 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 50 | $20.32 | $42,270 | $31,780 | $34,320 | $38,380 | $48,710 | $61,590 |
| Jacksonville, NC | 40 | $19.91 | $41,420 | $22,080 | $28,950 | $39,470 | $56,010 | $62,150 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC | 120 | $16.41 | $34,130 | $17,890 | $23,040 | $33,710 | $40,350 | $54,680 |
| Raleigh, NC | 310 | $21.82 | $45,380 | $30,490 | $38,250 | $46,490 | $53,190 | $59,890 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | 50 | $16.41 | $34,130 | $21,870 | $24,840 | $31,050 | $38,340 | $57,520 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC | 340 | $21.05 | $43,790 | $32,340 | $38,780 | $44,570 | $49,960 | $57,430 |
| Wilmington, NC | 80 | $23.00 | $47,840 | $29,410 | $36,350 | $52,800 | $58,270 | $61,550 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | 110 | $18.22 | $37,890 | $27,680 | $32,300 | $36,020 | $40,120 | $54,950 |
Working as an Optician in North Carolina
The future for licensed opticians in North Carolina is positive, with many employment opportunities and growth throughout the state. While jobs are plentiful in North Carolina, the highest paying cities for licensed opticians include Durham, Raleigh and Ashville. Licensed opticians in North Carolina can be found working in a variety of settings, but in these cities it is very common for them to be employed by private optometry and ophthalmology practices, working normal business hours and receiving competitive wages. In other locations such as clinics, hospitals and vision care chains, it’s likely that opticians will be scheduled to work evenings and some weekends.
College Programs
- Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
- Other North Carolina Nonmetropolitan Area
- Raleigh-Cary, NC
- Rocky Mount, NC
- Western Central North Carolina Nonmetropolitan Area
- Western North Carolina Nonmetropolitan Area
- Wilmington, NC
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Area
1637 Lawson Street, Durham, North Carolina 27703-5023
(919) 536-7200
Opticianry – Associate Program, Optical Apprentice – Certificate Program
Durham Technical Community College offers multiple training options, including an Associate program and a Certificate program. Classes are taken at their campus in the city of Durham, North Carolina. This public college has round 5,118 students in total, with the majority of students on 2-year programs. The college is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges. The cost of tuition is likely to be in the order of $1,958 per year. Learning materials may cost in the order of $1,300, although this will vary with the program.
* Tuition fees and colleges’ accredition status are, to the best of our knowledge, correct at the time of writing, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (http://nces.ed.gov/). Confirm directly with college before applying.
Neighbor States
Residents of North Carolina may also wish to review their options in Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia.