Do you want to become an optician in Texas?
This big US state offers many job opportunities for opticians.
If you need info, read the article below.
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Optician Job Description and Duties in Texas
Opticians give advice regarding what type of eye-wear their clients should choose.
Burt, glasses prescriptions are not provided.
The job duties an optician has are:
- Preparing eyewear
- Fitting and adjusting eyewear
- Educating customers about eyewear issues and maintenance
- Keeping sales records
- Determining insurance co-pays
- Keeping the inventory
- Interacting with the labs that make lenses
Optician Job Requirements in Texas
Texas requires licenses for opticians and these are issued by the Texas Optometry Board.
Applying for a license is helpful as it will offer improved career options.
If you get an optician certification, you will also get a higher salary.
The first thing you need to do is take the National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO) exam.
You can then take the National Contact Lens Examiner’s (NCLE) exam.
In Texas, optician licenses are released by the Texas Dakota Board of Optometry.
You will also need to provide proof of:
- A high school diploma or GED
- Graduating from a training program or having a formal education
- An associate’s degree diploma is highly appreciated by employers
- Good interpersonal skills
- Detail-oriented
- Reliability
- Clean criminal record
Optician Education in Texas
The most convenient method to complete your training is by joining a training program where you live.
The post-secondary schools with available optician programs in Texas can be seen below.
Top 6 Schools in Texas
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| Lamson Institute | 5819 Northwest Loop 410 #160, San Antonio, TX 78238 |
| St Philip’s College | 1801 Martin Luther King Dr, San Antonio, Texas 78203-2098 |
| San Jacinto College | 8060 Spencer Hwy, Pasadena, TX 77505 |
| Tyler Junior College | 1327 S Baxter Ave, Tyler, TX 75701 |
| University of Houston | 212 E. Cullen Building, Houston, Texas 77204-2018 |
| University of the Incarnate Word | 4301 Broadway, San Antonio, Texas 78209 |
Those choosing Tyler Junior College have more training options, including a certificate-level diploma as well as an Associate’s degree-level credential.
At the San Jacinto Community College, you can choose from two certificate programs as well as an Associate’s degree.
If you want even more options as far as formal training goes, you can look at colleges from other states.
The Board in Texas also accepts formal training received in Canada, though there are some conditions to be met in this case.
Some online programs are also accepted by the Board if attending classes in person is difficult.
You will also need to meet the requirements asked by the school.
This can include:
- A high school diploma or GED
- Completing specific classes with a minimum grade of C
- 2 letters of recommendation
- OAT scores – not older than 5 years
- Minimum GPA of 2.75
Finishing an optician training program can vary in length.
Generally, it will take between 7 months and 2 years to finish an optician program in Texas.
The training program will include both hours of theory and practice.
The subjects you will take are:
- Introduction to Optometry
- Ocular Anatomy
- Systems 1: Neuroscience
- Ocular Microbiology
- Ophthalmic Imaging
- Public Health Optometry
- Glaucoma
- Physics
Optician Certification in Texas
The optician exam in Texas requires:
- Graduate from an approved training program from anywhere in the US or Canada
- Passing the 4 parts of the NBEO
- Passing the state law exam
The state law exam is offered by the NBEO six times every year.
Students also need to pass the National Opticianry Competency Examination (NOCE) through the ABO.
The exam has 3 levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
The beginner level requires:
- Reading prescriptions,
- Fitting and dispensing spectacles
- Using standard ophthalmic equipment
The company that hired you will have to cover the $200 fee.
To get a job as a lens dispenser, you need to take the Contact Lens Registry Examination (CLRE).
The exam topics subjects are:
- Pre-fitting for lenses,
- Diagnostic fitting,
- Dispensing of lenses,
- Patient education,
- Delivery
- Follow-up
The documents you need to email are:
- Age over 18
- A high school diploma or GED
- To fill out an application
- To pay some fees
- A clean criminal record
In Texas, you need to renew your optician license every year, before January 1st.
This process entails taking 16 additional hours of education.
Optician Employment and Salary in Texas
After your optician license gets issued, you can work in numerous facilities, like:
- Stores
- Offices
- Optometry practices
- Hospitals
- Clinics
In Texas, the wage will receive depends on your location.
In Dallas and San Antonio, you will earn between $47,700 and $46,700 per year.
There are other areas where opticians make a higher salary, like Arlington, El Paso, Fort Worth, and Austin.
How much you will earn may also be based on how much education you have.
Annual Salary Range:Average Salary of Opticians in Texas
| City Name | Salary |
|---|---|
| Houston | $49,231 |
| San Antonio | $46,704 |
| Dallas | $47,718 |
| Austin | $47,237 |
| Fort Worth | $46,801 |
| El Paso | $42,010 |
| Arlington | $46,724 |
| Corpus Christi | $45,081 |
| Plano | $47,513 |
| Laredo | $42,809 |
Regional Salary in Texas
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amarillo, TX | 90 | $33,650 | $16.18 | $39,410 | $28,250 |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | 620 | $38,660 | $18.59 | $47,570 | $30,100 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 120 | $36,980 | $17.78 | $44,820 | $29,170 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | 60 | $32,600 | $15.68 | $40,810 | $24,420 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | 60 | $35,850 | $17.24 | $46,710 | $29,130 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 180 | $36,070 | $17.34 | $43,960 | $28,720 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,780 | $38,890 | $18.7 | $52,000 | $28,870 |
| El Paso, TX | 110 | $33,490 | $16.1 | $43,170 | $24,390 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 1,470 | $34,320 | $16.5 | $43,390 | $27,050 |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | 70 | $36,030 | $17.32 | $46,430 | $29,370 |
| Laredo, TX | 30 | $30,800 | $14.81 | $36,250 | $20,970 |
| Longview, TX | 50 | $33,550 | $16.13 | $43,460 | $24,750 |
| Lubbock, TX | 90 | $35,060 | $16.85 | $44,530 | $28,320 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 140 | $32,400 | $15.58 | $40,930 | $26,350 |
| Midland, TX | 40 | $38,420 | $18.47 | $52,550 | $30,350 |
| Odessa, TX | 40 | $41,060 | $19.74 | $52,250 | $29,370 |
| San Angelo, TX | 30 | $31,450 | $15.12 | $36,090 | $26,200 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 520 | $37,250 | $17.91 | $47,390 | $28,690 |
| Sherman-Denison, TX | 30 | $36,290 | $17.45 | $47,000 | $28,080 |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | 30 | $30,810 | $14.81 | $36,500 | $26,610 |
| Tyler, TX | 50 | $35,360 | $17 | $45,960 | $28,710 |
| Victoria, TX | 30 | $33,220 | $15.97 | $37,470 | $29,270 |
| Waco, TX | 40 | $32,040 | $15.4 | $40,470 | $22,340 |
| Wichita Falls, TX | 40 | $32,000 | $15.38 | $42,440 | $23,590 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Additional Information for Opticians in Texas
You might need some additional career resources to help you in your job search.
If that is the case, remember to check out the following:
- Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry
- Certified Opticians Association of Texas
- National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO)
- Texas Department of State Health Services
- Texas Ophthalmological Association
- Texas Optometric Association
- Texas Optometry Board
