Becoming an Optician in New Mexico
An optician is a professional in the healthcare industry who helps patients and customers in optical retail stores, optometry clinics, and ophthalmology practices find the right frames, fill their prescriptions and learn about their new lenses. This is a hands-on career that allows you to work with and help people every day. In New Mexico, this is a growing industry, so there will be many opportunities for work for those who are training right now and studying to become an optician.[En Español]
How to Become an Optician in New Mexico
The prerequisite for becoming an optician in New Mexico includes getting a high school diploma or equivalent and having a valid driver’s license.
The state of New Mexico does not require licensing for working opticians. If you are interested in this career within the state, there are two ways you can achieve your goal. One is to find an optician, optometrist, or ophthalmologist willing to hire you for an entry-level position. Once on the job, you will be trained and learn the skills needed to work as an optician. The other option is to complete a post-secondary degree or certificate program, which will provide you with all the knowledge needed to be hired as an optician after graduation.
Optician Certification Training Programs in New Mexico
While there are no requirements that opticians in the state to complete an educational program or obtain a license, New Mexico does have one school with two programs that are accredited by the Commission on Opticianry Accreditation.
Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, located in Albuquerque, offers students a certificate or an associate’s degree in Vision Care Technology. The degree program takes longer to complete and includes more advanced optical classes as well as general education courses. The degree takes about two years to complete and prepares students to work as opticians or optometry assistants, while the certificate program prepares students to work as optical lab technicians, surfacing, fabricating, and mounting lenses.
National Optician Certification in New Mexico
No license is required to practice opticianry in the state of New Mexico, but employers may be looking for job candidates who either already have an education or who are prepared to train and learn on the job while not immediately working as an optician. Employers also may prefer to hire opticians who have passed exams for national certification. The National Contact Lens Examiners (NCLE) Contact Lens Registry and the American Board of Opticians are national organizations that provide exams opticians can take to prove they have the knowledge and skills to do the job.
National Contact Lens Examiners Examination
The NCLE Contact Lens Registry exam is the only contact lens certification available in the United States. The exam consists of a written and practical portion and can be taken by individuals who have completed an opticianry program or have at least one year’s experience with contact lenses. Candidates must also pass a background check to become nationally certified.
American Board of Opticians Examination
The American Board of Opticians (ABO) exam is a comprehensive, multiple-choice exam that tests the optician’s knowledge in areas such as anatomy and physiology, optics, and legal issues. The ABO also offers an online course to help prepare for the exam. Passing this exam shows employers that you are knowledgeable in all areas of opticianry and can provide the best care for patients.
Once you have achieved certification, it is important to maintain it. The ABO requires that certified opticians complete a certain number of continuing education credits each year to remain certified.
Penn Foster College – Online Optician Exam Prep Career Diploma
Complete this program in as little as seven months. Format designed by board certified and state-licensed opticians. Opportunity to complete a practicum before graduation. The program will help you prepare for dispensing optician national certification exams, administered by ABO and the NCLE, by providing you with exam prep materials. Call 1-800-851-1819 today.
Outlook and Salaries for Opticians in New Mexico
The number of jobs available for qualified opticians in New Mexico is growing and will continue to grow. In 2020, there were 540 employed opticians in the state. By 2030, there are predicted to be a total of 580, which means there will be many new positions for opticians who are training right now. This is a growth in the industry of over 7 percent.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, opticians in New Mexico earned an average salary of $37,180 per year in 2021, or$17.87 per hour. A related career is ophthalmic technology and assisting, which in the state of New Mexico earned these professionals an average of $38,940 in 2020. Ophthalmic technicians work directly with ophthalmologists, helping assist with patients, exams, and surgeries.
Salaries in New Mexico by Occupation
| Profession | Employment | Mean Hourly Wage | Mean Annual Wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opticians, Dispensing | 390 | $16.23 | $33,760 |
| Ophthalmic Medical Technicians | ** | $16.49 | $34,290 |
| Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians | 140 | $15.52 | $32,280 |
| Optometrists | 220 | $48.35 | $100,570 |
Certified Dispensing Optician Salaries in New Mexico by Region
| Region | Total Employment | Mean Hourly Wage | Mean Annual Salary | 10% Percentile | 25% Percentile | Median | 75% Percentile | 90% Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque, NM | 140 | $17.31 | $36,000 | $25,940 | $29,540 | $34,930 | $40,450 | $49,710 |
| Farmington, NM | 40 | $13.00 | $27,040 | $19,070 | $20,720 | $22,870 | $26,130 | $52,900 |
| Santa Fe, NM | ** | $17.90 | $37,230 | $27,160 | $29,780 | $34,950 | $41,050 | $49,680 |
Working as an Optician in New Mexico
With so many opportunities opening up in the state in the coming years, becoming an optician in New Mexico is a great career move. You can expect to work with optometrists or ophthalmologists.
Entry-level opticians are required to know glasses prescription lens materials, multifocal lens considerations prisms, frames frame adjustment basics, and corrective eye care solutions.
The most common type of employment for opticians is in optometry practices, but many works with physicians. You may also work for a retail store that handles lens prescriptions and sells frames, or you may be hired in hospitals or clinics. Most opportunities in New Mexico will be in the larger population centers, especially in and around Albuquerque.
College Programs
Albuquerque, NM Area
9169 Coors Blvd NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87120-3101
(505) 346-2347
Optical Laboratory Technology – Certificate Program, Vision Care Technology – Associate Program
Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute offers multiple training options, including a Certificate program and an Associate program. Classes are taken at their campus in Albuquerque in Bernalillo County, NM. Most of the school’s 402 students are in 2-year programs. The college is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, The Higher Learning Commission. The cost of tuition is broadly in the order of $1,095 yearly, while study materials may cost about $825, depending on the program.
* Tuition fees and colleges’ accreditation 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 the college before applying.
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