There are three ways to become an optician in the US: a two-year opticianry degree (or one-year certificate) from an accredited program, a self-paced online certificate course, or on-the-job training or an apprenticeship with an employer. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says “Opticians typically need a high school diploma or the equivalent and receive on-the-job training.” Which route is right depends on your state: 21 states license opticians, and in those states the route you choose decides whether you can sit the licensing exam.
This guide compares the three routes by length, cost and what each one qualifies you for, and lists every program in the Commission on Opticianry Accreditation (COA) directory as of November 9, 2026. For the rules in your state, see optician license requirements by state. For the job itself, see what an optician does.
Start with your state: it decides which route works
Check this before you pay for anything. The COA FAQ puts it this way: “Twenty one states require licensure for Opticians. Of those states, nineteen accept graduates of a COA accredited program in lieu of the apprenticeship portion of the process of preparing for licensure, and one requires graduation from a COA accredited school as a condition to be come licensed.”
In practice:
- Licensing state: an accredited degree is the most portable route, because nearly every licensing state accepts it in place of an apprenticeship. An online certificate course alone usually is not enough (see below).
- Non-licensing state: employers set the bar. A high school diploma and a willing employer is enough to start, and ABO or NCLE certification is how you prove your skills afterward.
The COA also notes that it does not license anyone: “No, licensing is done by states.” Your state board is the final word.
Three routes compared: length, cost and what each one gets you
| Accredited degree or certificate | Online certificate course | On-the-job training or apprenticeship | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | BLS: a 2-year associate’s degree or a 1-year certificate. Reynolds Community College lists 2 years (5 full-time semesters) | 6 months of access, 150 course hours (Colorado State and Western Washington University listings) | Varies by state. Florida’s apprenticeship is 6,240 hours, to be finished within five years |
| Typical cost | Reynolds: $187.60 per credit hour in-state, 65 credit hours. Other colleges set their own tuition | $2,299 (Western Washington University) to $2,394 (Colorado State). Optical Training Institute’s Optician Development Program: $900 | You are employed by the sponsor. Any course fees depend on the employer and state |
| Format | Varies by school. Reynolds lists in-person, hybrid and online. Hillsborough College lists campus-based or internet-based | 100% online, self-paced | At work, under a licensed or experienced optician |
| Prepares you for | State licensing exam, ABO and NCLE exams. Some licensing states let graduates test right away | ABO and NCLE exams. Not a degree | ABO and NCLE exams, and the state license where the apprenticeship is accepted |
| Main limit | Few schools: 17 programs in 10 states | Excluded in some states; no accreditation claim on the course pages checked | Slower to a license in states that require thousands of hours; quality depends on your sponsor |
Prices and hours were read from the named program pages on November 9, 2026. Partner schools sell the same online course at different prices, so check the page of the school you plan to use.
Accredited opticianry programs: the full COA directory
The COA accredits two-year opticianry degree programs, and the directory also lists ophthalmic laboratory certificate programs. The directory describes itself as a list of the “Opticianry Degree and Ophthalmic Laboratory Certificate programs currently accredited by COA.” There are 17 on it as of November 9, 2026. Only 10 states have one, so for many readers the closest accredited school is out of state, which is where hybrid and online delivery matters.
| School | Location | Program name (per directory) | Credential |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broward College | Coconut Creek, FL | Vision Care Technology Opticianry | Degree |
| Camden County College | Blackwood, NJ | Ophthalmic Science | Degree |
| College of Southern Nevada | Las Vegas, NV | Ophthalmic Technology | Degree |
| Connecticut State Community College, Middlesex | Middletown, CT | Ophthalmic Design and Dispensing | Degree |
| Durham Technical Community College | Durham, NC | Opticianry | Degree |
| Essex County College | Newark, NJ | Vision Care Technology | Degree |
| Franklin Cummings Tech | Boston, MA | Opticianry | Degree |
| Hillsborough College | Tampa, FL | Opticianry | Degree |
| Miami Dade College | Miami, FL | Opticianry (Associate in Science) | Degree |
| New York City College of Technology | Brooklyn, NY | Vision Care Technology | Degree |
| Raritan Valley Community College | Somerville, NJ | Ophthalmic Science | Degree |
| Reynolds Community College | Richmond, VA | Opticianry | Degree |
| Roane State Community College | Harriman, TN | Opticianry | Degree |
| Southwestern Community College | Sylvia, NC | Opticianry | Degree |
| Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute | Albuquerque, NM | Vision Care Technology | Degree and certificate |
| SUNY Erie Community College | Williamsville, NY | Vision Care Technology | Degree |
| Tri-Service Optician School | Yorktown, VA | Ophthalmic Laboratory Technology | Certificate |
Source: COA Directory of Accredited Programs, read November 9, 2026. Three things to know before you apply:
- Roane State: its directory entry reads “Accredited to 4/6/2026; extended to 10/6/2026.” Both dates have passed, so confirm its current status with the COA.
- Tri-Service Optician School is a military training school and its listing is an ophthalmic laboratory certificate, so it is not a general civilian dispensing route.
- Delivery format is not stated in the directory itself. It is on each program page. Hillsborough’s page says “Campus based or Internet based programs available,” with online courses paired to a licensed optician or optometrist as a mentor for the lab and clinical classes.
Why bother with accreditation? The COA FAQ lists two reasons: graduating gives “a nationally recognized credential,” and “some scholarships, federal funding, student loans, and fellowships are only available to students who are attending accredited programs.” Its answer on unaccredited programs is measured: not being listed “does not necessarily” mean a program is poor, only that it has not gone through the COA’s self-study and peer review.
What online optician courses are, and what they do not do
The courses that dominate search results (sold through college continuing-education sites on the Ed2Go platform, and by Optical Training Institute) are non-degree training. They are not the same thing as the COA programs above.
Ed2Go-style certification course. Colorado State University Professional Education lists the Optician Certification Training course as 6 months of access, 150 course hours, self-paced and 100% online, at $2,394.00. Western Washington University’s listing is $2,299.00 for the same 150 hours. Both say it prepares you for the Basic ABO and NCLE exams. Colorado State says there are “no prerequisites,” and the course ends with a certificate of completion.
The limit is on the Western Washington page: “This optician certification training course does not meet state requirements for students intending to work in North Carolina, New York, and South Carolina.” The same page says the course prepares students to work as Registered Apprentice Opticians in Washington, who must apply to the state to qualify, and adds “Check the requirements in your state before enrolling.” The course pages do not claim COA accreditation, and we found no licensing state that accepts them in place of an accredited degree or apprenticeship, so treat them as exam preparation, not a replacement for the degree route.
Optical Training Institute (OTI) Optician Development Program. OTI describes it as “a comprehensive two-year certificate program” priced at $900, “approved for apprenticeship training in required states,” and approved “by certain licensed states.” That is the more relevant option if your goal is to meet an apprenticeship’s coursework requirement, but approval is state by state, so ask your board whether the program is on its list.
Apprenticeship and on-the-job training
If you are hired into an optical shop without prior training, you are on this route. The BLS says people without a formal program can learn on the job under an experienced optician. In non-licensing states that can be the whole path. In licensing states that allow an apprenticeship, it is usually registered with the board. Florida, for example, requires “6,240 hours of training under their registered sponsor(s),” finished within five years of registration, as the alternative to an accredited associate degree. That is three years of 40-hour weeks, by simple arithmetic.
Hours, sponsor qualifications and reporting rules differ in every state. They are laid out in the apprenticeship rules by state section of the license guide, so check there before you accept a job on the assumption that your hours will count.
From zero to working optician: timelines by state type
| Starting point | Route | What the sources say about timing |
|---|---|---|
| Non-licensing state | Hired and trained on the job | BLS lists no prior experience required and long-term on-the-job training. You can start work immediately; certification is optional |
| Non-licensing state | Online course, then ABO and NCLE | 6 months of course access, then exam scheduling |
| Licensing state | Accredited degree | 2 years full time (Reynolds: 5 semesters). The COA says some states let graduates take the licensing exam “immediately upon graduation” and others require “a few months to a year of experience” |
| Licensing state | Apprenticeship | Set by statute. Florida: 6,240 hours within five years of registration, then the exams |
Two practical points follow. First, in a licensing state the clock for the exam usually starts when your apprenticeship or degree ends, so budget the exam and any state practical on top. Second, if you already work in an optical shop, ask the board whether your hours so far can be registered. Do not assume past work counts.
What you will actually learn, and what employers look for
Curricula are consistent across routes. The Western Washington online syllabus includes the spectacle prescription, frames, “Frame Adjustment Basics and Dispensing,” “Lensometry, Measurement Devices, and Multifocal Lens Considerations,” and “Prisms and Decentration.” Hillsborough College’s degree page says coursework covers “optics, anatomy, contact lenses, and refractometry,” plus professional management, eyewear fabrication and dispensing. Reynolds lists frame and lens selection, contact lens fitting and basic business management.
Measurement is the skill that separates a good fit from a remake. Decentration and multifocal placement depend on an accurate pupillary distance and segment height, so every route teaches you to take them, whether with a pupillometer, a ruler or a digital tool. If you are deciding how a shop should train new hires on this, Optogrid captures PD and segment height from a photo on a phone or tablet.
The BLS lists the qualities employers look for as business, communication, customer-service and decision-making skills, attention to detail, and manual dexterity. It also advises students to take math and science classes.
Certification after training
ABO certifies spectacle dispensing and the NCLE certifies contact lens fitting. The COA FAQ says certification “must be renewed every 3 years through continuing education.” For fees, pass rates and exam content, read ABO and NCLE certification and try the ABO practice test and the NCLE practice test. Clinic roles under an ophthalmologist use a separate credential from IJCAHPO, covered in ophthalmic assistant certification.
Job market and pay in brief
The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook reports a median of $47,260 per year ($22.72 per hour) for opticians in 2025, 74,300 jobs, and a 4% outlook for 2025 to 2035, “as fast as average.” Pay by state and employer is covered in the optician salary guide, and the duties in the optician job description.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to become an optician?
It depends on the route and your state. A COA-accredited associate degree takes about two years full time, and a certificate about one year, per the BLS. Online certificate courses give 6 months of access. On-the-job training can start immediately in a state without a license, while an apprenticeship in a licensing state such as Florida is 6,240 hours.
Do I need a degree to become an optician?
Usually not. The BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education, with long-term on-the-job training. A degree matters mainly in licensing states, where it can replace an apprenticeship, and where one state requires graduation from a COA-accredited school.
Can I become an optician online?
You can complete coursework online and prepare for the ABO and NCLE exams that way, and some accredited schools offer online or hybrid options. Hands-on skills still need practice. Hillsborough pairs online lab and clinical classes with a licensed optician or optometrist as mentor. Online certificate courses do not meet the requirements in every state, so check yours first.
Which schools offer accredited optician programs?
The COA lists 17 accredited programs in 10 states: Florida, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Virginia, Nevada, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Tennessee and New Mexico. The full table is above, and the COA directory has each program’s outcomes and accreditation term.
How much does optician training cost?
Costs range widely: Reynolds Community College charges $187.60 per credit hour in-state for a 65-credit-hour degree, online certificate courses are $2,299 to $2,394 at the listings checked, and the Optician Development Program is $900. The COA notes that some scholarships, federal funding and loans are limited to students in accredited programs.
Is an optician the same as an optometrist?
No. Opticians measure, fit and adapt eyeglasses and contact lenses from a prescription. Optometrists are eye doctors who examine eyes and write the prescription that opticians fill. For the daily duties, see what an optician does.
I grew up inside an optical shop. My mother likes to tell how, as a kid, I would watch eyeglasses being assembled, play with the tools, and draw on the back of service order slips. The family business taught me early what a precise measurement and work done right are worth.
I went on to spend more than twenty years as a software engineer, always keeping an eye on the optical world. Optogrid was born where the two meet: digital measurement technology (pupillary distance and fitting heights) built by someone who knows the dispensing counter from the inside.