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Dental Laboratory Technicians

Typical education: High school diplomaLower pressure

What they do

Construct and repair full or partial dentures or dental appliances.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $49,610 Median per year · $23.85/hr Most earn $36,660–$76,940

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Fabricate, alter, or repair dental devices, such as dentures, crowns, bridges, inlays, or appliances for straightening teeth.
  • Apply porcelain paste or wax over prosthesis frameworks or setups, using brushes and spatulas.
  • Place tooth models on an apparatus that mimics bite and movement of patient's jaw to evaluate functionality of model.
  • 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.

Job outlook

United States
6% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 3,600 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing79.6%
  • Offices of dentists16.5%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Dental Laboratory Technician is a hands-on job you can often start after high school, but people usually build up 1 to 2 years of related experience first. Many learn on the job or through a dental technology certificate or associate degree.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Build a foundation in science, math, and hands-on shop or art classes, which help with the precise, detailed work this job needs.

  2. Medical Appliance Technician

    6 months to 1 year

    Start in a lab that makes custom medical devices, learning to measure, shape, and finish materials to exact specifications and to follow lab procedures.

  3. Dental Laboratory Technician

    1-2 years of total related experience

    Work with dentists' prescriptions to build and repair dentures, crowns, and other dental appliances, and keep improving your skill and accuracy through experience.

Where it can lead

  1. Senior Dental Technician

    3-5 years of experience first

    You take on harder, more complex cases and become the go-to person for tricky work, often training newer technicians.

  2. Dental Laboratory Supervisor

    5+ years of experience first

    You move from making appliances to managing the lab, overseeing staff, schedules, quality checks, and workflow.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take chemistry and anatomy or biologyThese classes give you background on materials and the human mouth and jaw, which you'll use when reading dentists' instructions.
  • Take art, drafting, or shop classesWorking with your hands and reading technical drawings builds the precision and spatial thinking this job needs.
  • Join a technical or career-skills club at schoolClubs like this often run hands-on projects and skill competitions that show employers you can work carefully and follow directions.
  • Get a part-time job that requires detail workJobs in retail stockroom, food prep, or assembly help you practice accuracy, following procedures, and working under time pressure.
  • Volunteer at a dental or medical officeEven a few hours helps you learn the clinical setting and talk with people who work near dental labs.

In college

  • Enroll in a dental laboratory technology certificate or associate degree programFormal training teaches materials, tooth anatomy, and lab techniques, which can help you get hired and move up faster.
  • Take courses in anatomy, materials science, or chemistryThese build the knowledge you need to understand how dental materials behave and how they fit the mouth.
  • Seek an internship or part-time lab jobHands-on experience in a dental lab gives you real work to show employers and builds the 1 to 2 years of experience most jobs expect.
  • Learn computer-aided design (CAD) basicsMany modern labs use digital design tools for crowns and appliances, so this skill makes you more competitive.
  • Join a student organization in health sciences or technical fieldsClubs in these areas help you meet people in the field, learn about job openings, and practice teamwork.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask a local dental lab or dental office if you can shadow someone or volunteer for a day. Seeing the work up close is the best way to find out if you enjoy it.
  • Look into dental technology certificate or associate degree programs at community colleges. Formal training can speed up your path and help you get hired.
  • Practice detail work now, like model building, carving, sculpture, or detailed crafts. Steady hands and attention to small differences matter a lot in this job.

Related jobs that often lead here

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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