Careers / Dental Laboratory Technicians
Dental Laboratory Technicians — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
Opens your browser print dialog — choose “Save as PDF”.
Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$49,610
United States, 2025
Employment
34,410
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Construct and repair full or partial dentures or dental appliances.
- O*NET code
- 51-9081.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Typical tasks
- Read prescriptions or specifications and examine models or impressions to determine the design of dental products to be constructed.
- Test appliances for conformance to specifications and accuracy of occlusion, using articulators and micrometers.
- Fabricate, alter, or repair dental devices, such as dentures, crowns, bridges, inlays, or appliances for straightening teeth.
- Place tooth models on an apparatus that mimics bite and movement of patient's jaw to evaluate functionality of model.
- Remove excess metal or porcelain and polish surfaces of prostheses or frameworks, using polishing machines.
- Train or supervise other dental technicians or dental laboratory bench workers.
- Melt metals or mix plaster, porcelain, or acrylic pastes and pour materials into molds or over frameworks to form dental prostheses or apparatuses.
- Prepare metal surfaces for bonding with porcelain to create artificial teeth, using small hand tools.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$36,660
25th percentile
$40,420
75th percentile
$62,070
90th percentile
$76,940
Most important skills
- Reading Comprehension3.4
- Time Management3.3
- Critical Thinking3.3
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Operations Monitoring3.1
- Complex Problem Solving3.0
- Active Learning3.0
- Monitoring3.0
- Active Listening3.0
- Speaking3.0
- Writing2.9
- Learning Strategies2.9
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 10 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
10
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 3.3 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.4 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.3 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Speaking | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $51,330
Compare with Dental Laboratory TechniciansSupplemental
National median $47,920
Compare with Dental Laboratory TechniciansSupplemental
National median $65,380
Compare with Dental Laboratory TechniciansSupplemental
National median $81,110
Compare with Dental Laboratory TechniciansHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Coral, FL | $78,010 | 110 | 2025 |
| Scranton, PA | $76,170 | — | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $75,480 | 350 | 2025 |
| MA | $72,800 | 440 | 2025 |
| Deltona, FL | $68,640 | 40 | 2025 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $68,230 | 60 | 2025 |
| ND | $67,580 | 60 | 2025 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $65,500 | 40 | 2025 |
| Portland, ME | $64,020 | 60 | 2025 |
| ME | $64,020 | 120 | 2025 |
| Worcester, MA | $63,730 | 40 | 2025 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $61,370 | 30 | 2025 |
| North Port, FL | $61,360 | 100 | 2025 |
| Washington, DC | $61,250 | 490 | 2025 |
| CO | $61,220 | 410 | 2025 |
| Denver, CO | $61,220 | 230 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $60,940 | 280 | 2025 |
| NH | $60,610 | 120 | 2025 |
| Manchester, NH | $60,600 | 60 | 2025 |
| Naples, FL | $60,560 | 50 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Dental Laboratory Technicians to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.