ABO Certification is it worth it?!
Question:
ABO Certification is it worth it?
I'm currently working as an non-certified optician, and am wondering if it is actually worth getting my ABO cert., I love my job, and plan to stay in this field for awhile. Will it increase my hireablity at other places (currently work for wal-mart). Or would it just end up being a waste of time/money? Thanks
Tom
Answers:
I started off at the Wal-Mart Vision Center. Got my ABO by going through their sponsored course. At Wal-Mart (admittedly 9 years ago), my top dollar was $8.00 per hour. When I applied for new jobs, the ABO certification seemed to be important to several employers, and gave me some leverage on gaining a higher wage. (I now make nearly three times per hour what I did then.)
Certified, experienced opticians in private offices in California make $17.00 to $26.00 an hour, as I gather from people I've met and interviews I've been on, and what hints I've picked up on from our office's fabulous opticians.
(I began to hate being an Optician, and got certified as Ophthalmic Assistant instead; suits me better!)