Optical Assistant
Also advertised as: assistant in optomechanical engineering, Dispensing Assistant, Optical Advisor, Optical Assistant, Optician's Assistant, optomechanical engineering assistant
Helps customers choose glasses and supports opticians in a practice.
What the job involves
Optical assistants are the first point of contact in an opticians, helping customers choose frames, taking measurements and booking eye tests. Retail sales skills matter as much as attention to detail, since fitting glasses correctly affects a customer's vision and comfort. Many progress into dispensing optician training on the job.
Typical responsibilities
- Help customers select frames and lenses
- Take facial measurements for glasses
- Book and manage eye test appointments
- Handle repairs and adjustments
- Process orders and payments
Common employers
- High street opticians
- Independent eye care practices
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£19,000 – £22,000 a year
With experience
£23,000 – £26,000 a year
Typical hours
37.5 hours including some Saturdays
Working environment
Retail opticians practice
Remote working
on_site
Demand for this work
steady
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Customer service
- Sales
- Attention to detail
- Basic optics knowledge
- Administration
Transferable skills you may already have
- Retail or customer service experience
- Working with measurements
- Friendly, patient manner
Requirements employers ask for
- Customer service
- Sales
- Attention to detail
- Basic optics knowledge
- Administration
- GCSEs including English and maths
- Basic DBS check (employer dependent)
- record test data
- clean optical components
- refractive power
- optomechanical components
- align components
- assist scientific research
- design drawings
- read engineering drawings
- operate scientific measuring equipment
- optomechanical devices
- apply optical coating
- adjust engineering designs
Useful but not essential
- Retail or customer service experience
- Working with measurements
- Friendly, patient manner
- Retail or customer service experience
- Interest in progressing to dispensing optician training
- operate precision machinery
- integrate new products in manufacturing
- use CAM software
- CAE software
- operate industrial equipment
- resolve equipment malfunctions
- cavity optomechanics
- monitor machine operations
Helpful qualifications
- Retail or customer service experience
- Interest in progressing to dispensing optician training
Licences and checks
- Basic DBS check (employer dependent)
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Apprenticeships and work-based routes
- Optical Assistant (Level 2)
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Health and social care
- Related subject: Business
Where this career can lead
next
Dispensing Optician
next
Optical Practice Manager
next
Optometry (via further study)
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- No qualifications needed to start
- Clear progression to dispensing optician
- Regular daytime retail hours
What people find hard
- Lower pay than clinical eye care roles
- Sales targets in some practices
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a optical assistant?
- No. As well as degree routes, this career can be entered through an apprenticeship or by building experience and qualifications on the job. not_required
- How much does a optical assistant earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £19,000 to £22,000 a year, rising towards £26,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Retail or customer service experience, Working with measurements, Friendly, patient manner.
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Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 14 September 2026.
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