Opticians, Dispensing
Machines can already do 23% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 46%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Opticians, Dispensing in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 23% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 0% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2037, and 46% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 73,530 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $47,260 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 94% for contact with people.
- Also called: Certified Optician, Contact Lens Technician, Dispensing Optician, Licensed Dispensing Optician (LDO).
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assist clients in selecting frames according to style and color, and ensure that frames are coordinated with facial and eye measurements and optical prescriptions | 10% | 3% to 25% | |
| Heat, shape, or bend plastic or metal frames to adjust eyeglasses to fit clients, using pliers and hands | 10% | 3% to 25% | |
| Measure clients' bridge and eye size, temple length, vertex distance, pupillary distance, and optical centers of eyes, using measuring devices | 8% | 3% to 25% | |
| Recommend specific lenses, lens coatings, and frames to suit client needs | 8% | 32% to 50% | |
| Sell goods such as contact lenses, spectacles, sunglasses, and goods related to eyes, in general | 7% | 22% to 42% | |
| Perform administrative duties, such as tracking inventory and sales, submitting patient insurance information, and performing simple bookkeeping | 7% | 58% to 78% | |
| Verify that finished lenses are ground to specifications | 6% | 18% to 51% | |
| Maintain records of customer prescriptions, work orders, and payments | 6% | 63% to 81% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills opticians, dispensing use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Opticians, Dispensing?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2037. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of opticians, dispensing?
Machines can do 23% of the tasks of opticians, dispensing today and 46% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 29-2081.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Opticians, Dispensing: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/opticians-dispensing/