Optician training in Alabama

2 optician and eye care programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

2 schools offer these eye care programs, and Alabama has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Opticians fit customers for eyeglasses and contact lenses and help them choose frames and lenses. Most need a high school diploma and learn on the job, while some start with an associate degree or certificate in ophthalmic dispensing. Some states require a license, which usually takes an approved program or an apprenticeship and passed exams, and employers may want certification in eyeglass and contact lens dispensing.¹

In Alabama, both programs ask for a high school diploma or equivalent.

Both are the same kind of program: eye care assistant or technician course.

See the 2 programs

How much does optician training cost in Alabama?

$799 to $1,675

from the lowest-priced program to the highest, if you pay yourself

These two programs

Finished the program: 82% to 97%
Working 6 months later: Left out; Alabama's rates sit far below every other state's
Earned a year, estimated: about $13,400
Length: 14 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Alabama may also offer optician training. How these figures are made

Is there free optician training in Alabama?

Yes, if you qualify. WIOA (public workforce funding) can pay for any program on this page, in full or in part, depending on local limits.²³⁴In program year 2024 it paid toward the training of at least 10 people at 1 of the 2 programs here.
Ask an American Job Center whether you qualify, or call 1-877-872-5627.⁵ Before funding training, the center goes through an assessment and a career plan with you.⁴
Or pay yourself. These programs cost $799 to $1,675.

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 2 optician and eye care programs in Alabama approved for WIOA funding

2 programs

Eye care assistant or technician courseIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Medical Assistant For Vision
Jefferson State Community College
Birmingham
Accredited school
High school diploma or equivalent
Jefferson State Community College, BirminghamEye care assistant or technician course · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$799
School website, Medical Assistant For Vision at Jefferson State Community College
More details about Medical Assistant For Vision at Jefferson State Community College
Finished
82%
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
Not reported
Cost of supplies
$300
Students counted
34
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$799
School website, Medical Assistant For Vision at Jefferson State Community College
Eye care assistant or technician courseIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Eye Care Assistant
George C. Wallace Community College
Dothan
Accredited school
High school diploma or equivalent
George C. Wallace Community College, DothanEye care assistant or technician course · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimated$13,400
Price if you pay yourself$1,675
10 students trained with WIOA funding
Program website, Eye Care Assistant at George C. Wallace Community College
More details about Eye Care Assistant at George C. Wallace Community College
Finished
97%
Working at 6 months
Left out
Earned in a quarter
$3,354
Length
14 weeks, 10 hours a week
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
33
Earned a year, estimated
$13,400
Price if you pay yourself
$1,675
students trained with WIOA funding
10
Program website, Eye Care Assistant at George C. Wallace Community College

How to pay for optician training in Alabama

WIOA funding can pay for optician training in Alabama

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for optician training

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.⁶⁷

GI Bill for optician training

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.⁸

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Optician training in Birmingham, Dothan and other Alabama cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above.

Other training in Alabama

How optician training compares with the rest of allied health: Allied health programs in Alabama

Where the Alabama eye care program numbers come from

Which Alabama eye care programs are on this list?

These are the eye care programs Alabama approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).⁹ The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Alabama offers.

How the prices and results of Alabama eye care programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

How reliable are the Alabama figures?

The US Department of Labor's own results site lists Alabama among the states with "known data quality concerns".¹⁰ We leave out the share working 6 months later for Alabama: its rates sit far below every other state's.

Sources for the facts about optician training in Alabama

Show the 10 sourcesHide the sources

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