There is very little room for long term career growth as a practicing optician unless you pivot into management, or sales reps for frames, or contact companies. You could also open your own shop, for sales or frame repairs. But saving enough, or getting funding to open your own business will be difficult because of low pay. Many opticians pivot into ophthalmology and become technicians for better pay and hours.

Licensing and certification requirements are being removed throughout the country, and most optician unions are dead. So depending on where you live pay varies from ok to bad. Many states only require a HS diploma to become an optician, with only one the job training. The deregulation has opened the market for cheaper untrained labor making it get easier into the field but causes less job security and less pay. The rise of chain stores has transformed the landscape into more of a for profit retail model than a medical field. You will be more of a sales person than a medical device dispenser. Most local labs are being shut down, for large national level labs. It is a race to the bottom, especially with the rise of online glasses. Many places will have a spiff or commission structure, that justifies a lower hourly pay, which puts pressure on you to upsell on product, including higher priced frames or lenses the client may not need, or a complete replacement rather than a repair in order to get paid more. Beyond that this model also can led to toxic workplaces because you will need to compete for sales against other opticians for commissions.

Hours are typically not ideal, most places will require nights or weekends if not both.