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The national median salary for Dental Laboratory Technicians is $49,608 per year ($23.85/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $40,414 and $62,067 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $76,939 per year. There are approximately 34,410 dental laboratory technicians employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Construct and repair full or partial dentures or dental appliances.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-4.7%
Slower than average
Annual openings
4K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
35K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing
NAICS 339100
28K
$48,730
Offices of Dentists
NAICS 621200
6K
$51,380
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
440
$73,740
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
NAICS 611300
90
$61,060
Offices of Physicians
NAICS 621100
60
$46,870
Wage range across top 5 industries: $46,870 to $73,740 (57% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$17.62
$36,650
P25
$19.43
$40,414
P50MEDIAN
$23.85
$49,608
P75
$29.84
$62,067
P90
$36.99
$76,939
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · manufacturing sector
Stable
Openings Rate
3.5%
Quits Rate
1.4%
Manufacturing openings ticked up to 462K (+19K) in March, with the rate at 3.5%. Hires rose to 310K. The sector has stabilized after late-2025 softening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average dental laboratory technicians salary?
The national median salary for Dental Laboratory Technicians is $49,608 per year ($23.85/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $40,414 and $62,067 annually.
How much do top-earning dental laboratory technicians make?
The 90th percentile salary for Dental Laboratory Technicians is $76,939 per year ($36.99/hr). The 75th percentile is $62,067 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for dental laboratory technicians?
Entry-level Dental Laboratory Technicians (10th percentile) earn approximately $36,650 per year ($17.62/hr). The 25th percentile is $40,414 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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