4 smart ways dispensing opticians can level up their careers (and pay).

As the bridge between clinical expertise and patient care, dispensing opticians (DOs) are responsible for a lot. You’re the ones making sure every patient can see better, feels more comfortable and confident, and walks away feeling properly looked after.

But what if you’re ready for more? To take on new responsibilities or to upskill? Do you know what your options are?

Whether you’re looking for more clinical involvement, a specialism, or the chance to lead... there are plenty of progression routes open to you. Here are four of the most common (and realistic) ways DOs can upskill and take their careers further.

1. become a contact lens optician (CLO).

Qualifying as a CLO is one of the most popular next steps for DOs. This additional training (accredited by ABDO) gives you the skills to fit and manage contact lenses, including monitoring how a patient’s eyes respond over time.

It’s a natural extension of your expertise. And it can make your day-to-day work more varied, more clinical, and often more rewarding.

On top of that, CLOs are highly valued – you can even run contact lens clinics (work that would otherwise fall to an optometrist, who are often harder to recruit). That means becoming a CLO can boost your earning potential while also making you a go-to expert in practice.

Overall, a solid career investment.

2. specialise in low vision care.

This can be one of the most rewarding areas in optics. By completing further qualifications in low vision (through ABDO or the College of Optometrists), you can build on your dispensing skills to help patients live more independently.

This specialism opens doors in both community practice and hospital settings and gives you the chance to make a real difference to people who need tailored solutions the most.

3. step into leadership and management.

Not all progression is about clinical practice. Many DOs thrive in leadership roles – whether that’s running a practice, leading a team, or moving into area management.

Your mix of technical knowledge, patient care, and people skills makes you perfectly suited to coaching colleagues, shaping the patient experience, and driving practice success.

And with extra responsibility often comes a bigger pay package. This can mean significant career progression in both scope and salary.

If you enjoy mentoring others or seeing the bigger business picture, management can be an exciting and fulfilling next step.

4. transition into an optometrist role.

More and more DOs are choosing to take the leap as an optometrist – and it’s not hard to see why. It’s a natural next step if you’re looking for greater clinical responsibility, the chance to diagnose and manage eye health, and to be even more hands-on with patient care.

This pathway is a bigger commitment than other routes, but your background as a DO gives you a real head start. Traditionally, you’d complete an optometry degree followed by a pre-registration (pre-reg) year. But with Clinical Learning in Practice (CLiP) becoming the standard, this journey is getting smoother. CLiP builds work placements into the degree itself, meaning more support, more real-world experience, and less of a stop-start approach.

💡 If you’re curious about how CLiP is changing the journey into optometry, we’ve written a blog that breaks it all down here.

Some universities now offer accelerated optometry programmes designed specifically for DOs, often giving credit for your existing qualifications and work experience. This can mean shaving a year (or more) off the process.

And yes, stepping into an optometrist role also means a much higher salary to reflect the added responsibility.

keep learning, keep growing.

Upskilling as a DO doesn’t have to mean starting from scratch or moving away from the parts of the role you love. Whether you choose to become a CLO, specialise in low vision, move into leadership, or step into an optometrist role - there are plenty of ways to shape your career around your strengths and ambitions.

You already play a vital role in people’s lives. Building on your skills simply gives you even more ways to make an impact.

how talentshed can support you.

We know that careers in optics aren’t one-size-fits-all. Every dispensing optician has different strengths, ambitions, and motivation. And we’ll help you explore opportunities that match where you want to go next.

Because we know the optical sector inside-out, we’re uniquely positioned and can connect you with employers who value DOs not just for the technical expertise you bring, but for the human side of care that makes such a difference to patients.

Whether you’re curious about moving into contact lenses, building a career in low vision, or stepping into management, we’re here to offer guidance, share opportunities, and support you at every step.

Whatever direction you want to grow your career, we’ll help you get there.

👉 Chat with our team today to get started.