Will AI take my job? Opticians, Dispensing
Unlikely
AI tools can speed up a slice of the work, mostly writing, looking things up and record-keeping. The core of the job still needs a person.
What AI is least likely to do in this job
Skills and knowledge this work relies on that depend on people, judgment or hands-on work.
Where AI tools already help
Parts of the work where AI writing, research and analysis tools are already useful.
How to stay ahead
- Lean into what people do best in this work: Customer and Personal Service, Sales and Marketing, Speaking. Put examples of these on your résumé.
- Learn the AI tools for your field, starting with the tasks they already help with (Mathematics and Administrative). People who use them well tend to get the work that remains.
- Take Aptly’s free assessments to see which careers fit your interests, personality and strengths, with the AI exposure of every match.
Nearby careers that are more AI-resilient
| Career | AI exposure | U.S. median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Ophthalmic Medical Technologists · Very unlikely | 7/100 | $50,290 |
| Ophthalmic Medical Technicians · Very unlikely | 11/100 | $45,570 |
| Histology Technicians · Very unlikely | 0/100 | $62,930 |
| Veterinary Technologists and Technicians · Unlikely | 15/100 | $47,380 |
| Pharmacy Aides · Very unlikely | 14/100 | $37,680 |
| Medical Assistants · Very unlikely | 14/100 | $45,690 |
Careers that suit the same kind of person, need similar preparation and pay at least three-quarters as much. Whether one fits you is what Aptly’s free assessments show.
Aptly’s free assessments score 13,000+ careers for your interests, personality and strengths, and show the AI exposure of every match.
Opticians, Dispensing earn a median of $47,260 a year in the U.S. Pay by state, requirements and openings.
How this is measured
The score is an estimate of AI exposure: the share of an occupation’s tasks that large language models, and software built on them, could do in half the time or less at the same quality. It comes from a study by researchers at OpenAI and the University of Pennsylvania (Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock, 2023, “GPTs are GPTs”), which rated every task the U.S. Department of Labor lists for each occupation.
Exposure is not the same as job loss. Highly exposed jobs often change rather than disappear, and many people in them become more productive. Use it as a guide to where the work is heading, not a prediction about you.
Check another job
AI exposure: Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), “GPTs are GPTs”. Skills: O*NET 30. Pay: BLS, May 2025. O*NET-SOC 29-2081.00.