Appendix B: Examples of Health Professions

Dispensing Optician

Depending on the employer, training in this field may be done informally on the job as part of a formal apprenticeship or in a post-secondary institution. Generally, a small optical practice will train employees on the job, while larger practices have a structured apprenticeship program which may last from 2 to 4 years. Formal training programs may be offered in community colleges and some universities. In 2000, there were close to 25 such programs. They can be 1 or 2 years in length, or a 2-year program awarding an associate's degree. State regulations concerning the licensing of opticians vary, and in many states licensing is not required.

*Median annual earnings of dispensing opticians was $24,430 in 2000. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $15,900 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $39,660. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest number of dispensing opticians in 2000 were as follows:

Offices and clinics of medical doctors ............$28,220
Retail stores, not elsewhere classified .............$25,120
Offices of other health care practitioners ........$22,670

*U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2000-01 Edition.

Copyrighted by: The National Health Council, October 1998; reproduced with permission by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. Further reproduction prohibited without permission of copyright holder, www.nationalhealthcouncil.org.