Dental Laboratory Technicians

Construct and repair full or partial dentures or dental appliances.

O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 51-9081.00

$48,310median annual wage, May 2024

33,920people employed, United States

▼ 4.7%projected change, 2024→2034

3,900openings a year, incl. replacements

What it pays

A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage

Pay over time

Median up 65% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.

BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.

Where the jobs are

Metro area	Median wage	Employed
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$48,300	2,070
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	$56,800	1,580
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	$51,900	950
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ	$47,960	750
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$56,910	690
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	$52,600	690
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	$49,110	680
St. Louis, MO-IL	$48,290	650
Salt Lake City, UT	$45,770	650
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	$51,740	540
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	$45,340	530
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	$48,210	500

BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation

Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34

What people in this job actually do

Ordered by how important the work is rated.

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.
Build and shape wax teeth, using small hand instruments and information from observations or dentists' specifications.
Remove excess metal or porcelain and polish surfaces of prostheses or frameworks, using polishing machines.
Load newly constructed teeth into porcelain furnaces to bake the porcelain onto the metal framework.
Mold wax over denture setups to form the full contours of artificial gums.
Train or supervise other dental technicians or dental laboratory bench workers.

O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale

Skills that matter most

Importance, rated 1 to 5.

Reading Comprehension3.4

Critical Thinking3.2

Active Listening3.0

Speaking3.0

Active Learning3.0

Monitoring3.0

Writing2.9

Learning Strategies2.9

Science2.1

Mathematics2.0

O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale

Software and tools

A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.

Intuit QuickBooks●Microsoft Excel●Microsoft Office software●Microsoft Outlook●Microsoft PowerPoint●Microsoft Windows●Microsoft Word●Bookkeeping softwareComputer aided design and drafting CADD softwareComputer imaging softwareDatabase management softwareDental product design softwareDental product manufacturing softwareEasy Solutions Easy LabEmail softwareGraphics softwareInventrix LabtracJenmar International DL-PlusLabMagicLaboratory Systems Group Lab ManagerMainstreet Systems & Software DentaLab/PC IIMainstreet Systems & Software DentaRXScheduling softwareWeb browser software

O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag

What this work is actually like

Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.

2 / 5Some preparation — a school diploma and a few months of on-the-job training.

O*NET 30.3 Job Zones

Working conditions that stand out

Exposed to Contaminants+1.8 above average

Exposed to Disease or Infections+1.8 above average

Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings+1.5 above average

Exposed to Hazardous Conditions+1.4 above average

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets+1.4 above average

Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls+1.4 above average

Spend Time Sitting+1.3 above average

O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2022-08

How people actually get in

Share of workers by the education they hold.

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)52%

Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)18%

Less than a High School Diploma13%

Some College Courses7%

O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2022-08

What kind of person the work suits

Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.

Realistic6.6

Investigative4.5

Conventional4.1

O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)

Tasks O*NET flags as emerging

Meet with dentists or patients to discuss dental appliances.
Order parts or materials needed to make dental appliances.
Scan dental models to create digital files.
Stain porcelain on dental appliances to match the color of patients' teeth.

O*NET 30.3 emerging tasks

What you take with you

Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.

Time Management3.2

Judgment and Decision Making3.1

Operations Monitoring3.1

Complex Problem Solving3.0

Social Perceptiveness2.9

Quality Control Analysis2.9

Operation and Control2.8

Coordination2.8

O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale

Knowledge the work draws on

DesignAdministration and ManagementEnglish LanguageMedicine and DentistryProduction and ProcessingEducation and Training

Abilities it leans on

Near VisionFinger DexterityControl PrecisionArm-Hand SteadinessVisualizationInformation Ordering

O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale

How this job is advertised

The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.

WaxerCeramistDenture WaxerMetal FinisherCrown CeramistDental CeramistDental MechanicDenture FinisherBridge TechnicianDental Mold MakerPorcelain FinisherDental TechnologistModel and Dye PersonDental Appliance Fixer

O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation

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What changed since 2015

Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 1 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.

Now listed 4

+Microsoft Outlook+Computer aided design and drafting CADD software+Microsoft Windows+Microsoft Office software

No longer listed 3

−Spreadsheet software−CAD/CAM−Inventory management software

Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.

O*NET 30.3 related occupations

Also called

WaxerCeramistDenture WaxerCrown CeramistMetal FinisherDental CeramistDental MechanicOrtho TechnicianModel TechnicianDenture FinisherDental AssistantDental Mold Maker

O*NET 30.3 alternative titles

The same work in Europe

ESCO occupation	ISCO	Match
dental technician	3214.2	exact
prosthetic-orthotics technician	3214.3.1	close
prosthetist-orthotist	3214.3	close
audiology technician	3214.1	close

Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)

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