Tampa Bay’s Erin landed a Walmartjob that pays $30 an hour, no degree required, and she’s calling it “so fun.” In a viral TikTokvideo, the 28-year-old @lettersfromerin97 broke down how she earns $30.05 an hour as an Optician Apprentice at a Walmart Vision Center. That’s roughly $60,000 a year working about 36 hours per week, and she didn’t need a college diploma to get there.
Erin started at around $26 an hour with zero experience or certification. Walmart didn’t just skip the degree requirement. They actually paid for her ABO and NCLE optician licensing exams, fast-tracking her to a higher wage. In her 232-second video, she painted the job as a mix of customer service, sales, and hands-on healthcare.
Daily tasks include fitting frames, interpreting prescriptions, performing basic pre-testing like auto-refraction and eye pressure checks, handling repairs, managing inventory, and selling sunglasses. She even called out the infamous “puff of air” test that everyone loves to hate. “I’m your girl,” she joked.
The role isn’t just about the paycheck
Erin described the work as engaging and dynamic, blending medical knowledge with sales skills. “It’s not a job for the weak,” she said, explaining how you have to balance what customers need with what they can afford. But the perks make it worth it. Walmart covered the cost of her certifications and even paid her to study for them. After passing her tests, she got a 10% raise, bumping her to $29 an hour. A yearly raise later, and she’s now at $30.05…