51 Series · SOC 51-9081
Dental Laboratory Technicians Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $49,610
- Median / year
- $76,940
- Top 10% earn
- -4.7%
- Growth '23–'33
- 34,410
- US workers
Dental Laboratory Technicians earn a median of $49,610 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $49,610, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $36,660 (10th percentile) to $76,940 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 34,410 US workers. Massachusetts pays the most ($72,800), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Dental Laboratory Technicians earn a median of $49,610, putting them below the typical US occupation and higher than 32% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Production, it ranks #38 of 105 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 4.7% by 2033.
- $49,610
- Median annual wage
- Top 68%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #38 of 105
- in Production
- 2.1×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Massachusetts at $72,800. Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
Dental Laboratory Technicians (SOC 51-9081) pays a national median of $49,610 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $36,660 at the 10th percentile to $76,940 at the 90th, with a mean of $54,290 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 34,410 Americans work in this occupation across 47 reporting states and 151 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -4.7% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as declining relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 3,900 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is High school diploma or equivalent and moderate-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of B for this role, with a fatality rate of 3.5 per 100,000 and injury rate of 3.2 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Massachusetts pays the highest state median at $72,800, which is +47% above the national figure. The top metro is Kansas nonmetropolitan area at $84,700 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$49,610
per year
Median Hourly
$23.85/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$54,290
average
Employment
34,410
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Dental Laboratory Technicians pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$49,610 Bottom 32% higher than 32% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 51-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Dental Laboratory Technicians; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 23 51-series occupations with growth data, Dental Laboratory Technicians sits on the slower-growing side at -4.7% growth and $49,610 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
-4.7%
Declining
Annual Openings
3,900
per year (projected)
Typical Education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-Job Training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
3.5/100K
Injury Rate
3.2/100
Danger Index
14.6/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Dental Laboratory Technicians roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key 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.
- ▸ Prepare metal surfaces for bonding with porcelain to create artificial teeth, using small hand tools.
- ▸ Rebuild or replace linings, wire sections, or missing teeth to repair dentures.
- ▸ Place tooth models on an apparatus that mimics bite and movement of patient's jaw to evaluate functionality of model.
- ▸ Apply porcelain paste or wax over prosthesis frameworks or setups, using brushes and spatulas.
- ▸ Remove excess metal or porcelain and polish surfaces of prostheses or frameworks, using polishing machines.
- ▸ Build and shape wax teeth, using small hand instruments and information from observations or dentists' specifications.
- ▸ Load newly constructed teeth into porcelain furnaces to bake the porcelain onto the metal framework.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$36,660
25th Percentile
$40,420
Median
$49,610
75th Percentile
$62,070
90th Percentile
$76,940
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 47 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $72,800 | +47% above national |
| 2 | North Dakota | $67,580 | +36% above national |
| 3 | Maine | $64,020 | +29% above national |
| 4 | Colorado | $61,220 | +23% above national |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $60,610 | +22% above national |
| 6 | Florida | $59,790 | +21% above national |
| 7 | Nebraska | $58,590 | +18% above national |
| 8 | Kansas | $56,790 | +14% above national |
| 9 | Washington | $56,400 | +14% above national |
| 10 | Minnesota | $56,090 | +13% above national |
| 11 | New York | $52,460 | +6% above national |
| 12 | Virginia | $51,900 | +5% above national |
| 13 | Illinois | $51,380 | +4% above national |
| 14 | Arkansas | $49,960 | +1% above national |
| 15 | Indiana | $49,920 | +1% above national |
| 16 | North Carolina | $49,700 | same as national |
| 17 | Michigan | $49,570 | same as national |
| 18 | Georgia | $49,310 | 1% below national |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $49,280 | 1% below national |
| 20 | Tennessee | $48,880 | 1% below national |
| 21 | Oregon | $48,800 | 2% below national |
| 22 | Oklahoma | $48,670 | 2% below national |
| 23 | Ohio | $48,480 | 2% below national |
| 24 | South Dakota | $48,370 | 2% below national |
| 25 | Nevada | $48,190 | 3% below national |
| 26 | Arizona | $47,930 | 3% below national |
| 27 | Maryland | $47,850 | 4% below national |
| 28 | Mississippi | $47,770 | 4% below national |
| 29 | West Virginia | $47,740 | 4% below national |
| 30 | Montana | $47,560 | 4% below national |
| 31 | Iowa | $47,520 | 4% below national |
| 32 | California | $47,410 | 4% below national |
| 33 | Idaho | $47,380 | 4% below national |
| 34 | New Jersey | $47,270 | 5% below national |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $47,170 | 5% below national |
| 36 | Utah | $47,110 | 5% below national |
| 37 | Missouri | $46,870 | 6% below national |
| 38 | Kentucky | $46,770 | 6% below national |
| 39 | Texas | $46,330 | 7% below national |
| 40 | Alabama | $45,760 | 8% below national |
| 41 | Rhode Island | $45,320 | 9% below national |
| 42 | Hawaii | $45,300 | 9% below national |
| 43 | New Mexico | $45,300 | 9% below national |
| 44 | Delaware | $38,500 | 22% below national |
| 45 | Louisiana | $38,490 | 22% below national |
| 46 | South Carolina | $37,170 | 25% below national |
| 47 | Puerto Rico | $22,490 | 55% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 151 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas nonmetropolitan area | $84,700 | +71% above national |
| 2 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $78,010 | +57% above national |
| 3 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $76,170 | +54% above national |
| 4 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $75,480 | +52% above national |
| 5 | Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | $68,640 | +38% above national |
| 6 | Colorado Springs, CO | $68,230 | +38% above national |
| 7 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $65,500 | +32% above national |
| 8 | Portland-South Portland, ME | $64,020 | +29% above national |
| 9 | Worcester, MA | $63,730 | +28% above national |
| 10 | Ann Arbor, MI | $61,370 | +24% above national |
| 11 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $61,360 | +24% above national |
| 12 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $61,250 | +23% above national |
| 13 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $61,220 | +23% above national |
| 14 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $60,940 | +23% above national |
| 15 | Manchester-Nashua, NH | $60,600 | +22% above national |
| 16 | Naples-Marco Island, FL | $60,560 | +22% above national |
| 17 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $60,510 | +22% above national |
| 18 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $59,940 | +21% above national |
| 19 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $59,920 | +21% above national |
| 20 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $59,730 | +20% above national |
| 21 | Bellingham, WA | $59,660 | +20% above national |
| 22 | Twin Falls, ID | $59,390 | +20% above national |
| 23 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $59,110 | +19% above national |
| 24 | Jacksonville, FL | $58,880 | +19% above national |
| 25 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $58,780 | +18% above national |
| 26 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $58,720 | +18% above national |
| 27 | Omaha, NE-IA | $58,630 | +18% above national |
| 28 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $58,160 | +17% above national |
| 29 | Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | $58,040 | +17% above national |
| 30 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $57,610 | +16% above national |
| 31 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $57,020 | +15% above national |
| 32 | East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $56,800 | +14% above national |
| 33 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $56,790 | +14% above national |
| 34 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $55,540 | +12% above national |
| 35 | Knoxville, TN | $55,340 | +12% above national |
| 36 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $55,170 | +11% above national |
| 37 | Salem, OR | $55,050 | +11% above national |
| 38 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $54,170 | +9% above national |
| 39 | Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $53,930 | +9% above national |
| 40 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $53,150 | +7% above national |
| 41 | Ogden, UT | $52,970 | +7% above national |
| 42 | Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | $52,880 | +7% above national |
| 43 | Columbus, OH | $52,570 | +6% above national |
| 44 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $51,750 | +4% above national |
| 45 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $51,380 | +4% above national |
| 46 | Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | $51,300 | +3% above national |
| 47 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $51,220 | +3% above national |
| 48 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $51,110 | +3% above national |
| 49 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $51,050 | +3% above national |
| 50 | Lincoln, NE | $51,020 | +3% above national |
| 51 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $50,910 | +3% above national |
| 52 | Rochester, NY | $50,880 | +3% above national |
| 53 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $50,850 | +2% above national |
| 54 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $50,700 | +2% above national |
| 55 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $50,690 | +2% above national |
| 56 | North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | $50,660 | +2% above national |
| 57 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $50,590 | +2% above national |
| 58 | Tallahassee, FL | $50,540 | +2% above national |
| 59 | North Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $50,450 | +2% above national |
| 60 | Asheville, NC | $50,440 | +2% above national |
| 61 | Jackson, MS | $50,430 | +2% above national |
| 62 | Fort Wayne, IN | $50,380 | +2% above national |
| 63 | Winston-Salem, NC | $50,230 | +1% above national |
| 64 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $49,920 | +1% above national |
| 65 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $49,920 | +1% above national |
| 66 | Cleveland, OH | $49,820 | same as national |
| 67 | St. Cloud, MN | $49,800 | same as national |
| 68 | Wichita, KS | $49,750 | same as national |
| 69 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $49,660 | same as national |
| 70 | Tulsa, OK | $49,660 | same as national |
| 71 | Eugene-Springfield, OR | $49,610 | same as national |
| 72 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $49,600 | same as national |
| 73 | Reading, PA | $49,550 | same as national |
| 74 | Rockford, IL | $49,310 | 1% below national |
| 75 | Topeka, KS | $49,300 | 1% below national |
| 76 | Athens-Clarke County, GA | $49,280 | 1% below national |
| 77 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $49,260 | 1% below national |
| 78 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $49,110 | 1% below national |
| 79 | Pittsburgh, PA | $49,060 | 1% below national |
| 80 | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $49,040 | 1% below national |
| 81 | Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $48,880 | 1% below national |
| 82 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $48,810 | 2% below national |
| 83 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $48,800 | 2% below national |
| 84 | Peoria, IL | $48,730 | 2% below national |
| 85 | Lancaster, PA | $48,710 | 2% below national |
| 86 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $48,710 | 2% below national |
| 87 | Toledo, OH | $48,710 | 2% below national |
| 88 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $48,550 | 2% below national |
| 89 | Roanoke, VA | $48,550 | 2% below national |
| 90 | Gainesville, GA | $48,080 | 3% below national |
| 91 | Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | $48,050 | 3% below national |
| 92 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $48,010 | 3% below national |
| 93 | Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $47,970 | 3% below national |
| 94 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $47,770 | 4% below national |
| 95 | Coeur d'Alene, ID | $47,760 | 4% below national |
| 96 | Green Bay, WI | $47,750 | 4% below national |
| 97 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $47,740 | 4% below national |
| 98 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $47,610 | 4% below national |
| 99 | Madison, WI | $47,570 | 4% below national |
| 100 | Billings, MT | $47,560 | 4% below national |
| 101 | Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $47,560 | 4% below national |
| 102 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $47,550 | 4% below national |
| 103 | Syracuse, NY | $47,510 | 4% below national |
| 104 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $47,480 | 4% below national |
| 105 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $47,460 | 4% below national |
| 106 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $47,410 | 4% below national |
| 107 | Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $47,400 | 4% below national |
| 108 | Dothan, AL | $47,390 | 4% below national |
| 109 | Youngstown-Warren, OH | $47,360 | 5% below national |
| 110 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $47,200 | 5% below national |
| 111 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $47,160 | 5% below national |
| 112 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $47,110 | 5% below national |
| 113 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $47,080 | 5% below national |
| 114 | Boise City, ID | $47,070 | 5% below national |
| 115 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $47,030 | 5% below national |
| 116 | Oklahoma City, OK | $46,950 | 5% below national |
| 117 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $46,880 | 6% below national |
| 118 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $46,880 | 6% below national |
| 119 | North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) | $46,800 | 6% below national |
| 120 | Auburn-Opelika, AL | $46,770 | 6% below national |
| 121 | Richmond, VA | $46,700 | 6% below national |
| 122 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $46,460 | 6% below national |
| 123 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $46,300 | 7% below national |
| 124 | Albuquerque, NM | $46,260 | 7% below national |
| 125 | Utica-Rome, NY | $46,070 | 7% below national |
| 126 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $45,840 | 8% below national |
| 127 | Rapid City, SD | $45,800 | 8% below national |
| 128 | Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $45,770 | 8% below national |
| 129 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $45,710 | 8% below national |
| 130 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $45,320 | 9% below national |
| 131 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $45,300 | 9% below national |
| 132 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $45,220 | 9% below national |
| 133 | Tucson, AZ | $45,190 | 9% below national |
| 134 | Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $45,140 | 9% below national |
| 135 | Tyler, TX | $45,110 | 9% below national |
| 136 | Fresno, CA | $45,010 | 9% below national |
| 137 | Mobile, AL | $45,000 | 9% below national |
| 138 | Springfield, MO | $44,260 | 11% below national |
| 139 | Columbus, GA-AL | $43,850 | 12% below national |
| 140 | Birmingham, AL | $43,750 | 12% below national |
| 141 | Huntsville, AL | $43,580 | 12% below national |
| 142 | South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $43,150 | 13% below national |
| 143 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $41,430 | 16% below national |
| 144 | Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | $40,200 | 19% below national |
| 145 | Baton Rouge, LA | $40,060 | 19% below national |
| 146 | Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $39,740 | 20% below national |
| 147 | Wilmington, NC | $38,990 | 21% below national |
| 148 | Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | $37,450 | 25% below national |
| 149 | Waco, TX | $36,490 | 26% below national |
| 150 | Lubbock, TX | $36,170 | 27% below national |
| 151 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $22,490 | 55% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 51 (production) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Dental Laboratory Technicians make? ▼
What state pays Dental Laboratory Technicians the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Dental Laboratory Technicians? ▼
How dangerous is being a Dental Laboratory Technicians? ▼
Is Dental Laboratory Technicians a good career? ▼
How does Dental Laboratory Technicians pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Dental Laboratory Technicians? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Dental Laboratory Technicians pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $62,070/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Massachusetts leads at $72,800/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.