Optician training in Maryland

1 optician and eye care program with costs, results and funding that can make it free

One school offers this eye care program, and Maryland has approved it for workforce funding. It 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 Maryland, the one program asks for a high school diploma or equivalent.

See the program

How much does optician training cost in Maryland?

$2,215

is what this program costs if you pay yourself

This program

Finished the program: 87%
Working 6 months later: 59%
Earned a year, estimated: about $31,300
Length: 8 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 Maryland may also offer optician training. How these figures are made

Is there free optician training in Maryland?

Yes, if you qualify. WIOA (public workforce funding) can pay for the 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 9 people at this program.
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. The one program with a price costs $2,215.

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

The one optician and eye care program in Maryland approved for WIOA funding

1 program

Eye care assistant or technician courseHybridHigh school diploma or equivalent
Ophthalmic Tech. Assistant (140 clock hours)
Howard Community College
Columbia
Accredited school
High school diploma or equivalent
Howard Community College, ColumbiaEye care assistant or technician course · Accredited schoolHybrid · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimated$31,300
Price if you pay yourself$2,215
9 students trained with WIOA funding
Program website, Ophthalmic Tech. Assistant (140 clock hours) at Howard Community College
More details about Ophthalmic Tech. Assistant (140 clock hours) at Howard Community College
Finished
87%
Working at 6 months
59%
Earned in a quarter
$7,814
Length
8 weeks, 14 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$200
Students counted
90
Earned a year, estimated
$31,300
Price if you pay yourself
$2,215
students trained with WIOA funding
9
Program website, Ophthalmic Tech. Assistant (140 clock hours) at Howard Community College

How to pay for optician training in Maryland

WIOA funding can pay for optician training in Maryland

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.

Other training in Maryland

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

Where the Maryland eye care program numbers come from

Which Maryland eye care programs are on this list?

These are the eye care programs Maryland 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 Maryland offers.

How the prices and results of Maryland 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.

Sources for the facts about optician training in Maryland

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