What is Occupational Licensing?
An “occupational license” is, put simply, government permission to work in a particular field. To earn the license, an aspiring worker must clear various hurdles, such as earning a certain amount of education or training or passing an exam. In the 1950s, only one in 20 U.S. workers needed the government’s permission to pursue their chosen occupation. Today, that figure stands at almost one in four.
Optician Occupational Licensing
License required in 22 states
11th most burdensome licensing requirements among moderate-income occupations
Average Fee for License:$627
What They Do
Opticians, also known as dispensing opticians, design, measure, fit and adapt lenses and frames for clients according to written optical prescriptions or specifications; assist clients with selecting frames; and measure customers for size of eyeglasses and coordinate frames with facial and eye measurements and optical prescription. They also prepare work orders for optical laboratories containing instructions for grinding and mounting lenses in frames; verify the exactness of finished lens spectacles; adjust frame and lens position to fit clients; and may shape or reshape frames.
Optician Licensing Overview
Twenty-two states require a licence to work as an Optician. On average, these laws require $627 in fees, 728 days of education and about 3 exam. Optician Licenses have the 11th most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied. Fees for a license exceed $1000 in Nevada, New York.
Where is an Optician the most regulated?
Out of the 22 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Optician has the highest burden in Nevada. Nevada requires $1250 in fees, 7 exams, 1 years & 100 clock hours experience, and 2 years education.
Where is an Optician the least regulated?
Out of the 22 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Optician has the lowest burden in New Hampshire. New Hampshire requires $110 in fees, no exams, no experience, and no education.
Where is an Optician license the most expensive?
An occupational license for a Optician costs the most in Nevada. Nevada requires $1250 in fees, 7 exams, 1 years & 100 clock hours experience, and 2 years education.
Where is an Optician license the least expensive?
An occupational license for a Optician costs the least in New Hampshire. New Hampshire requires $110 in fees, no exams, no experience, and no education.
Where does it take the longest to obtain an Optician license?
An occupational license for a Optician takes the longest to obtain in Nevada. It takes 1118 days (3 years and 23 days). Nevada requires $1250 in fees, 7 exams, 1 years & 100 clock hours experience, and 2 years education.
Where is it fastest to obtain an Optician license?
An occupational license for a Optician takes the least time to obtain in California, New Hampshire (0 days).
What states require exams for an Optician license?
To obtain an occupational license for an Optician there is at least one exam required in: Nevada, Arizona, Arkansas, Rhode Island, North Carolina, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, New York, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Washington, Kentucky, Alaska, Hawaii, South Carolina, Virginia, Vermont, Ohio, Georgia, California. Nevada requires 7 exams.
Twenty two states require a license to work as an optician. On average, these laws force aspiring opticians to pay $449 in fees, demonstrate nearly two years (714 days) of education and experience, and pass around two exams—the 11th most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied. However, because less than half of states license opticians, the occupation ranks as the 63rd most widely and onerously licensed.
While almost every state requires a minimum age of 18 years and at least a high school diploma, other license requirements vary greatly. (Duties also vary by state—see Appendix B for details.) Education and experience requirements vary from none in California and New Hampshire to more than three years (about 1,118 days) in Nevada. Similarly, exam requirements vary from none in New Hampshire to four in Connecticut, and fees range from $110 in New Hampshire to $943 in Florida.
States Ranked by Average Licensing Burden for 102 Lower-Income Occupations
More Burdensome Less Burdensome
Based on data released in November 2022| Burden Rank | State | Occupations Licensed | Fees | Estimated Calendar Days Lost | Education | Experience | Exams | Minimum Grade | Minimum Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | 75 | $1,250 | 1118 | 2 years | 1 years & 100 clock hours | 7 | 12 | 18 |
| 2 | Arizona | 68 | $500 | 1095 | None | 3 years | 3 | 12 | 18 |
| 3 | Arkansas | 72 | $310 | 1095 | None | 3 years | 2 | 12 | 21 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | 70 | $330 | 1095 | 2 years | 1 years | 2 | 12 | 18 |
| 5 | North Carolina | 66 | $560 | 912 | 2 years | 6 months | 4 | 12 | 18 |
| 6 | New Jersey | 54 | $899 | 851 | 2 years | 4 months | 5 | 12 | 17 |
| 7 | Connecticut | 65 | $800 | 730 | 2 years | None | 5 | 12 | 18 |
| 8 | Florida | 55 | $943 | 731 | 2 years & 4 clock hours | None | 3 | 12 | 18 |
| 9 | New York | 41 | $1,033 | 730 | 2 years | None | 2 | 12 | 18 |
| 10 | Tennessee | 69 | $755 | 730 | 2 years | None | 3 | 12 | 18 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | 50 | $739 | 730 | 2 years | None | 3 | 12 | 18 |
| 12 | Washington | 76 | $550 | 730 | 2 years | None | 4 | 12 | 18 |
| 13 | Kentucky | 38 | $500 | 730 | 2 years | None | 3 | 12 | 18 |
| 14 | Alaska | 64 | $850 | 730 | 2 years | None | 1 | 12 | 18 |
| 15 | Hawaii | 64 | $548 | 730 | 2 years | None | 2 | 12 | 18 |
| 16 | South Carolina | 60 | $420 | 730 | None | 2 years | 2 | 12 | 18 |
| 17 | Virginia | 72 | $400 | 730 | 2 years | None | 2 | 12 | 18 |
| 18 | Vermont | 31 | $325 | 730 | 2 years | None | 1 | 12 | 18 |
| 19 | Ohio | 40 | $279 | 730 | None | 2 years | 1 | 12 | 18 |
| 20 | Georgia | 41 | $715 | 365 | 1 years | None | 4 | 12 | 18 |
| 21 | California | 75 | $974 | 0 | None | None | 1 | 12 | 18 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | 37 | $110 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
License to Work
The data and information here come from IJ’s License to Work report, released in November 2022.
View Report