Opticians' salaries: income, trends and influencing factors.

Le métier d’opticien: un rôle essentiel

The optician's métier is at the heart of visual care. It involves fitting optical equipment in line with medical prescriptions, advising customers on the choice of glasses and contact lenses, and ensuring the fitting and adjustments required for optimum visual comfort. Opticians therefore play an essential role in improving their customers' eyesight, combining technical and interpersonal skills.

To find out more about this aspect of the profession, find our fiche métier optician.

Factors influencing opticians' salaries

There are a whole host of criteria for determining the rémunération of the optician. Many of them are contextual, while others are simply not visible. On the other hand, the following three are imponderables and must be taken into account systematically:

• Le niveau de formation et les diplômes : le niveau de formation est un déterminant facteur pour le salaire d'un opticien. Graduates of a BTS Opticien-Lunetier can work as salaried employees in optical stores, but those who continue their studies with a professional license or a master's degree in optometry have access to better-qualified positions.
• Region and workplace: geographic location also plays an important role in an optician's salary level. In general, salaries are higher in large conurbations and areas where the cost of living is higher. In Paris and the Paris region, salaries are often higher than in the rest of France. However, competition is fierce.
• The importance of professional experience: professional experience is another lever for improving performance. An experienced optician who has developed recognized expertise, particularly in contactology or fractional vision, will be able to offer a more attractive ration. What's more, the experience you gain can pave the way to store management positions or the possibility of setting up your own business.

Average salary for an optician in France

As a career goal, a salaried optician can expect a gross monthly salary of around 1,800-2,200 euros, depending on the region and type of structure (optical chain store, independent store, etc.).). These data vary according to the criteria mentioned above.

With experience, the rémunération of the opticianis significantly improved. After a few years of practice, a salaried optician can earn a gross monthly salary of between 2,500 and 3,000 euros. The increase is even more marked for those who move into positions of responsibility, such as store manager. Depending on the size of the company and the store's performance, the remuneration can even exceed these amounts.

Finally, independent opticians, i.e. those who own their own store, have potentially higher revenues, but this depends largely on the commercial success of their business. Store sales and margins on frame and lens sales have a direct influence on their income. On average, an independent optician can earn a gross annual income of 40,000 to 70,000 euros, or even more for well-stocked stores, but this comes with additional charges and responsibilities.

Prospects for development and career opportunities

These are numerous, and provide opticians with the means to diversify their careers by applying for various optician job offers. These include:

• To become an optical store manager: for opticians wishing to evolve, becoming an optical store manager is an interesting option. This position offers access to a higher salary, often accompanied by bonuses based on store sales.
• Open your own optical boutique: one of the goals of many opticians is to open their own boutique. This choice offers greater freedom in the exercise of the profession, but also requires business management skills and the ability to invest in stock and premises. While the risk is greater, profitability can be high for those who know how to attract and retain customers.
• Specialize in specific fields of optics: finally, opticians can specialize in fields such as contactology, optometry or low vision. These specializations enable them to offer high added-value services and justify higher fees.

In ré, thesalary of opticiansdepends on many factors, ranging from experience to specialization and region of practice. Career prospects are varied, enabling each optician to choose a path in line with his or her ambitions, whether that involves store management, technical spécialisation or indépendance.

If you liked this article and would like to learn more, browse our optician study sheet.