Please Note
- An estimate based on public data for similar roles. Not provided by the employer.
Optical Assistant
Role summary
Written by MyIslandJob from the job title and employer. See the employer's page for the full description.
The Optical Assistant supports customers throughout their eye-care journey, helping with frame selection, measurements, bookings, collections, and general store service. The role typically requires strong communication and customer-service skills, attention to detail, confidence using computers, and a professional, friendly approach. Previous retail, optical, or healthcare experience is useful but may not always be essential, as training is usually provided. Candidates are expected to work accurately, meet service and sales targets, maintain high standards of presentation, and collaborate effectively with optometrists and store colleagues. Flexibility for retail opening hours, including weekends, is commonly required.
Can I work in the UK?
Never pay anyone for a visa or a job offer. A real employer pays the permit costs and never asks you for money.
How it works
How it works: Shop-floor, till and stock jobs are below degree level and on no list read, so they cannot be sponsored; only youth schemes remain.
Before you apply: Shop-floor jobs need no professional licence. Pharmacists do: they must register with the local regulator, and one qualified abroad often has to pass local exams first. Selling alcohol can need a short course and certificate, for example in Australia.
Watch for: Only degree-level head-office roles (finance, IT, data) can be sponsored. Youth schemes are the usual way in for Canadians, Australians and Indians under the age limits.
Official source: GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa, your job. Checked November 2026.
What the job usually comes with in the UK
Usual for Retail & Consumer jobs in the UK, varies by employer. Checked November 2026.
| Housing | Not usually provided; you rent privately |
|---|---|
| Relocation | Shop jobs cannot be sponsored; for head-office hires the visa fee is yours unless the employer pays |
| Flights | Not standard; varies by employer and seniority |
| Pay and discount | Minimum GBP 12.71 an hour from age 21 (April 2026, by law); Boots gives seasonal staff a discount |
| Contract | Christmas seasonal jobs exist: Boots is recruiting about 6,000 seasonal workers (7 October 2026) |
| Leave | At least 28 days for a 5-day week (by law); employers may count bank holidays in it |
| Income tax | 0% to GBP 12,570, 20% to GBP 50,270, then 40%; plus 8% National Insurance (Scotland differs) |
Senior staff often get more than line staff, for example a single room or a yearly home flight. Ask the employer what the job includes before you accept.
Guidance, not legal advice. Rules change; your employer confirms the details for your case.
Working in the UK
Who can work there by passport, what a job usually includes, and island life.
About Boots
Boots is one of the United Kingdom’s best-known health and beauty retailers, with a nationwide network of pharmacies, stores, optical services, and digital channels. The company provides prescription and over-the-counter medicines, professional pharmacy services, skincare, cosmetics, toiletries, wellness products, and eye-care support. Boots employs pharmacists, optometrists, healthcare professionals, retail colleagues, and corporate teams. Its stores combine healthcare expertise with customer-focused retail, making them an important part of many local communities. Employees typically receive structured training, opportunities for career development, and access to benefits that may vary by role and employment contract. Boots is part of Walgreens Boots Alliance and continues to develop its stores, online services, and healthcare offering across the UK.