Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Dental Laboratory Technician is a professional role in the Production job family, focused on Dental Laboratory Technician work. Pay for this title reflects both its level and its scope; see our Title Level and Organization Responsibility guides for how WePayFairly defines them.
What Dental Laboratory Technicians do
Typical education: High School Diploma
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.
Top skills:Reading ComprehensionTime ManagementCritical ThinkingOperations MonitoringJudgment and Decision MakingSpeaking
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Dental Laboratory Technician salary by industry
Sectors 31, 32, and 33 – Manufacturing
27,810 workers
$56,000
Health Care and Social Assistance
5,810 workers
$56,000
Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS
450 workers
$76,000
Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation)
440 workers
$76,500
Educational Services
130 workers
$57,500
State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
70 workers
$59,000
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
30 workers
$47,500
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services$69,000
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Dental Laboratory Technician pays 2% above the average across 105 roles in the Production job family (family average $55,000).
