Opticians (Dispensing) build service orientation, persuasion and social perceptiveness skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Dental Assistants (77%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dental Assistants | 77% | $48,070 | +2% | None |
| 2 | Medical Assistants | 74% | $45,690 | −3% | None |
| 3 | New Accounts Clerks | 74% | $47,670 | +1% | None |
| 4 | Tellers | 74% | $43,030 | −9% | None |
| 5 | Skincare Specialists | 74% | $45,330 | −4% | None |
| 6 | Pharmacy Aides | 74% | $37,680 | −20% | None |
| 7 | Postal Service Clerks | 73% | $62,130 | +31% | None |
| 8 | Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage | 72% | $78,240 | +66% | None |
| 9 | Phlebotomists | 71% | $45,230 | −4% | None |
| 10 | First-Line Supervisors of Gambling Services Workers | 71% | $63,820 | +35% | None |
Compared with Opticians, Dispensing, median $47,260. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as opticians (dispensing) (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
77% skill match · $48,070 · +2% pay
Equipment Maintenance · Systems Analysis
74% skill match · $45,690 · −3% pay
Social Perceptiveness · Systems Analysis · Coordination
74% skill match · $47,670 · +1% pay
Systems Analysis
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Dental Assistants (77% skill match, median $48,070), Medical Assistants (74% skill match, median $45,690) and New Accounts Clerks (74% skill match, median $47,670), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 13 pay more than opticians (dispensing) at the median. The biggest increases: Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (+66%, $78,240), First-Line Supervisors of Gambling Services Workers (+35%, $63,820) and Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents (+32%, $62,370).
25 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.