Production
Dental laboratory technician
Construct and repair full or partial dentures or dental appliances.
Median pay
$49,610
Growth to 2035
−6%
declining
Openings a year
3,600
Time to qualify*
6 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Dental laboratory technician
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Hazardous conditions
Exposure to disease
Dental laboratory technician: 26% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core 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.
Also called: Ceramist · Crown and Bridge Dental Laboratory Technician (Crown and Bridge Dental Lab Tech) · Dental Ceramist · Dental Laboratory Technician (Dental Lab Tech) · Dental Technician (Dental Tech) · Denture Technician (Denture Tech) · Metal Finisher · Orthodontic Laboratory Technician (Ortho Lab Tech)
Outlook and AI
Dental laboratory technicians held 34,400 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 32,300 by 2035 (−6%, declining; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
- Dental laboratory technician vs. Medical appliance technician
- Dental laboratory technician vs. Dental assistant
- Dental laboratory technician vs. Ophthalmic laboratory technician
- Dental laboratory technician vs. Medical equipment repairer
- Dental laboratory technician vs. Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic
- Dental laboratory technician vs. Calibration technologists and technicians
- Dental laboratory technician vs. Painting, coating, and decorating workers
- Dental laboratory technician vs. Grinding and polishing workers, hand
- Dental laboratory technician vs. Furniture finisher
- Dental laboratory technician vs. Dental hygienist