Certificate IV in Optical Dispensing

This qualification trains you to work as an optical dispenser, the person who turns an optometrist's or ophthalmologist's prescription into glasses or contact lenses that fit and work properly.

Compare 1 provider

How long it takes: 6 to 24 months; typical for this level
Main job: Optical Dispenser; $105,900 median pay
Taught by: 1 provider; Every state and territory

Is this course right for you?

What the Certificate IV in Optical Dispensing asks of you, and what you might want to check first.

It helps to have

a genuine interest in helping people see well
good hand skills for adjusting and repairing spectacles
comfort talking with customers about their needs
patience and care when working with prescriptions

Before you start

Each provider sets its own entry requirements, so check the ones you are considering.

Where this course can take you

Jobs this qualification is a recognised route into, and the study that can follow it.

Jobs you can do with it

Optical Dispenser
Optical dispensers fit and sell prescription glasses and contact lenses, turning a prescription written by an optometrist into eyewear that suits the person wearing it.
What else you need
Complete required direct-client-contact hours; dispense optical appliances on prescriptions within the trained scope. This is not optometrist registration.
Median pay$105,900

If you study further

Bachelor of Vision Science

Pay is the median for everyone in the job, and “In demand” means the job is on the national shortage list.

Where you can study this course

There's one place you can study this course. No provider pays to be listed here.

Australasian College of Audiometry
Website for Australasian College of Audiometry (opens in a new tab)

What you’ll learn

12 units: 9 that everyone takes and 3 you choose.

Reading optical prescriptions
Helping clients choose frames
Dispensing complex prescriptions
Ordering and checking appliances
Fitting and adjusting spectacles
Customer service in health settings

See all 9 core units

Core units

Everyone completes these. Select a unit to see what it covers.

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Questions to ask before you enrol

Providers run this course differently, so the answers change from one to the next.

When is the next intake, and how many are there each year?
What is the total cost, including materials, checks and any placement costs?
Can I study part time or online, and how does that change the length?
Do the units count towards a higher qualification if I go on to study further?

Questions people ask

Who is this qualification for?

This qualification trains you to work as an optical dispenser, turning prescriptions into glasses or contact lenses that fit and work properly. You learn to read prescriptions, help clients choose frames and lens options, order and check appliances, and adjust or repair spectacles. The customer side matters, so you also cover service, communication and working with diverse people in a health setting.

Do I need experience or other qualifications first?

Entry requirements are set by each provider, so check with the provider you choose.