In the United States, the average annual dental technician salary in 2014 was $40k. Once a Dentist has examined a patient and determined a course of treatment, in a number of cases, dental implants may be required to address the patient’s needs. This is where a Dental Technician comes in as he or she is responsible for constructing these custom implants based on the specifications and measurements taken by the Dentist during his procedure and examination. This is normally done by taking a dental impression from the patient, which the technician can then use to create a duplicate of the patient’s dental structure and create the required implant. Skills and education is required to be able to handle tasks such as impressions and implants, which will also help you leverage a higher pay.
Contents
- 1 Average Dental Technician Salary by Percentile
- 2 Top Paying Industries for Dental Technicians
- 3 Highest Paying States for Dental Technicians
- 4 Lowest Wage States for Dental Technicians
- 5 Top Metropolitan Cities for Dental Technician Pay
- 6 Top Paying Non-Metropolitan Areas for Dental Technicians
- 7 Highest Dental Technician Employment Level by States
- 8 Job Outlook
- 9 Dental Technician Job Description
- 10 How to Become a Dental Technician
Average Dental Technician Salary by Percentile
As a Dental Technician, you can earn an average wage of as low as $10 an hour in the lower percentile, to as high as $30 in the 90th percentile. This range is equivalent to an annual salary of $22k to $61k potential.
Of course, the more experience you have, the higher your Dental Technician salary can be. When you’re first starting out, aim to earn in the 25th and 50th percentiles.
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $10.53 | $13.46 | $17.50 | $23.13 | $29.47 |
| Weekly Wage | $421 | $538 | $700 | $925 | $1,179 |
| Monthly Salary | $1,825 | $2,333 | $3,033 | $4,008 | $5,108 |
| Annual Salary | $21,900 | $28,000 | $36,400 | $48,100 | $61,300 |
Top Paying Industries for Dental Technicians
Dental Technicians earn the most working in the Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories industry. This top paying industry pays an annual salary of $64k. A distant second and third on the rankings for industries is the Federal Government at $54k annual salary.
| Rank | Industries | Hourly Wage | Weekly Wage | Monthly Salary | Annual Salary | Employment Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories | $30.72 | $1,229 | $5,325 | $63,900 | N/A |
| 2 | Federal Executive Branch | $25.87 | $1,035 | $4,483 | $53,800 | 500 |
| 3 | Federal government, including the US Postal Service | $25.87 | $1,035 | $4,483 | $53,800 | 500 |
| 4 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding state and local schools and hospitals, and the US Postal Service | $25.82 | $1,033 | $4,475 | $53,700 | 600 |
| 5 | Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospitals, and the US Postal Service | $25.14 | $1,006 | $4,358 | $52,300 | 700 |
| 6 | Offices of All Other Health Practitioners | $24.04 | $962 | $4,167 | $50,000 | 90 |
| 7 | Offices of Other Health Practitioners | $24.04 | $962 | $4,167 | $50,000 | 90 |
| 8 | Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods | $23.22 | $929 | $4,025 | $48,300 | 300 |
| 9 | Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $23.22 | $929 | $4,025 | $48,300 | 300 |
| 10 | State government, including schools and hospitals | $20.91 | $837 | $3,625 | $43,500 | 100 |
Highest Paying States for Dental Technicians
The best states to earn a high Dental Technician salary are Massachusetts, District of Columbia, and Alaska and around $53k a piece. To see the entire list of all states, check out the salary by states table.
| Rank | Salaries by States | Hourly Wage | Weekly Wage | Monthly Salary | Annual Salary | Employment Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $25.77 | $1,031 | $4,467 | $53,600 | 700 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $25.29 | $1,012 | $4,383 | $52,600 | N/A |
| 3 | Alaska | $25.24 | $1,010 | $4,375 | $52,500 | 70 |
| 4 | Montana | $22.26 | $890 | $3,858 | $46,300 | 200 |
| 5 | New York | $21.88 | $875 | $3,792 | $45,500 | 2,000 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $21.73 | $869 | $3,767 | $45,200 | 300 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $21.49 | $860 | $3,725 | $44,700 | 80 |
| 8 | Nevada | $21.39 | $856 | $3,708 | $44,500 | 200 |
| 9 | Maine | $20.72 | $829 | $3,592 | $43,100 | 100 |
| 10 | Washington | $20.53 | $821 | $3,558 | $42,700 | 1,000 |
Lowest Wage States for Dental Technicians
It’s good to know which states have the lowest salaries for Dental Technicians. The worst states are South Dakota ($30k), Louisiana ($32k), and Mississippi ($33k). These states are less populated and have lower standard of living costs, so it’s not surprising that they made the list.
| Rank | Salaries by States | Hourly Wage | Weekly Wage | Monthly Salary | Annual Salary | Employment Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $14.52 | $581 | $2,517 | $30,200 | 100 |
| 2 | Louisiana | $15.48 | $619 | $2,683 | $32,200 | 500 |
| 3 | Mississippi | $15.72 | $629 | $2,725 | $32,700 | 200 |
| 4 | West Virginia | $16.11 | $644 | $2,792 | $33,500 | 100 |
| 5 | Missouri | $16.39 | $656 | $2,842 | $34,100 | 800 |
| 6 | South Carolina | $16.63 | $665 | $2,883 | $34,600 | 400 |
| 7 | Alabama | $16.73 | $669 | $2,900 | $34,800 | 800 |
| 8 | Iowa | $16.92 | $677 | $2,933 | $35,200 | 400 |
| 9 | Tennessee | $16.92 | $677 | $2,933 | $35,200 | 500 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $17.31 | $692 | $3,000 | $36,000 | 200 |
Top Metropolitan Cities for Dental Technician Pay
The salaries of Dental Technicians in the top three metropolitan areas were all above $50k. This is a great sign as you have some flexibility in where you work and still can expect a decent income. Sitting at #1 is Boston, Cambridge, and Quincy in Massachusetts with an annual salary of $59k.
| Rank | Metropolitan Cities | Hourly Wage | Weekly Wage | Monthly Salary | Annual Salary | Employment Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA | $28.41 | $1,137 | $4,925 | $59,100 | 400 |
| 2 | Peabody, MA | $24.57 | $983 | $4,258 | $51,100 | 40 |
| 3 | West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Boynton Beach, FL | $24.04 | $962 | $4,167 | $50,000 | 200 |
| 4 | New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ | $22.26 | $890 | $3,858 | $46,300 | 1,000 |
| 5 | Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Deerfield Beach, FL | $22.07 | $883 | $3,825 | $45,900 | 500 |
| 6 | Nassau-Suffolk, NY | $21.78 | $871 | $3,775 | $45,300 | 600 |
| 7 | Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, MA-NH | $21.39 | $856 | $3,708 | $44,500 | 60 |
| 8 | Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA | $21.06 | $842 | $3,650 | $43,800 | 500 |
| 9 | Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, MI | $20.72 | $829 | $3,592 | $43,100 | 600 |
| 10 | Gary, IN | $20.43 | $817 | $3,542 | $42,500 | 70 |
Top Paying Non-Metropolitan Areas for Dental Technicians
By far, the #1 suburban area to be a Dental Technician is Southwestern Montana with an annual salary of close to $61k. That’s the top area in all of the United States in terms of income. The second highest non-metropolitan area was South Central Kentucky at $54k per year.
| Rank | Non-Metropolitan Areas | Hourly Wage | Weekly Wage | Monthly Salary | Annual Salary | Employment Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southwestern Montana | $29.33 | $1,173 | $5,083 | $61,000 | 50 |
| 2 | South Central Kentucky | $26.11 | $1,044 | $4,525 | $54,300 | 60 |
| 3 | Northeast Florida | $21.39 | $856 | $3,708 | $44,500 | 50 |
| 4 | North Georgia | $20.24 | $810 | $3,508 | $42,100 | 40 |
| 5 | Northern Indiana | $20.19 | $808 | $3,500 | $42,000 | N/A |
| 6 | Northeastern North Carolina | $19.95 | $798 | $3,458 | $41,500 | 70 |
| 7 | Western Central North Carolina | $19.86 | $794 | $3,442 | $41,300 | 40 |
| 8 | Other North Carolina | $18.08 | $723 | $3,133 | $37,600 | 50 |
| 9 | Other Ohio | $17.69 | $708 | $3,067 | $36,800 | N/A |
| 10 | Southwest New York | $17.64 | $706 | $3,058 | $36,700 | 60 |
Highest Dental Technician Employment Level by States
The place to be in terms of opportunity is California, which had about 4k professional Dental Technicians. Rounding off the top five states to get a job is Florida, Michigan, New York, and Texas.
| Rank | States | Hourly Wage | Weekly Wage | Monthly Salary | Annual Salary | Employment Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $19.13 | $765 | $3,317 | $39,800 | 4,000 |
| 2 | Florida | $19.81 | $792 | $3,433 | $41,200 | 3,000 |
| 3 | Michigan | $19.57 | $783 | $3,392 | $40,700 | 2,000 |
| 4 | New York | $21.88 | $875 | $3,792 | $45,500 | 2,000 |
| 5 | Texas | $18.51 | $740 | $3,208 | $38,500 | 2,000 |
| 6 | Georgia | $17.64 | $706 | $3,058 | $36,700 | 1,000 |
| 7 | Ohio | $18.70 | $748 | $3,242 | $38,900 | 1,000 |
| 8 | North Carolina | $19.81 | $792 | $3,433 | $41,200 | 1,000 |
| 9 | Arizona | $18.17 | $727 | $3,150 | $37,800 | 1,000 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $17.93 | $717 | $3,108 | $37,300 | 1,000 |
Job Outlook
There are currently 39k Dental Technicians in the United States, but unfortunately, it is only expected to grow an additional 1k in opportunities. As technology becomes more advance, the need for Dental Technicians diminishes. If this is your passion, don’t let these numbers stop you because there will still be a need as shown by the numbers.
| Employment Projections Data Dental Laboratory Technicians, 2012-2022 | |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2012 | 39,000 |
| Projected Employment, 2022 | 40,000 |
| Employment Difference: | 1,000 |
| Dental laboratory technicians | 3% |
| Ophthalmic laboratory technicians | 12% |
| Dental and Ophthalmic laboratory technicians and medical appliance technicians | 7% |
| Medical appliance technicians | 6% |
| Total, All Occupations | 11% |
Source: Bureau of Labor and Statistics
Dental Technician Job Description
There are four distinct types of dental technicians based on the type of work that is required to be done.
The first are Conservation technicians that specialize in fixed implants which are required to replace lost or damaged teeth and can include crowns, bridges and veneer, but once placed by the Dentist they cannot be removed.
Then there are the Prosthodontic technicians who design a variety of dentures that a patient can remove when required for cleaning or comfort.
Orthodontic technicians provide braces for various dental procedures and corrections.
And lastly for more advanced requirements there are the Maxillo-facial technicians who focus on prosthesis for facial reconstruction related to oral surgery & cancer, as well as severe burns and accidents.
How to Become a Dental Technician
To become a Dental technician you must first of all enjoy working with your hands and precision instruments. As construction of dental implants is a meticulous task you must also have immense patience and good attention to detail, as well as a creative nature for the design aspect of the job is unique to each patient.
To get qualified as a technician you must first purse a dental laboratory technology program either in a university, vocational or specialized dental school accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association.
Based on the program you choose this can provide you either an Associate or Bachelor’s degree in dental technology. With this qualification you can pursue a job as a Dental Technician in either commercial dental laboratories, or private dental clinics depending on the amount of experience and work you would like to expose yourself to. Average salaries for starting technicians at this level can begin at $25,000 and can go up to $45,000 per year with experience.
However if you wish to improve your professional development opportunities you can choose to seek further certification. Once you complete at least two years of work as a Dental Technician you can pursue the Certified Dental Technician (CDT) certification administered by the National Board of Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology.
This certification includes an examination and allows you to specialize in different areas of skills including orthodontics, crown & bridge implants, complete or partial dentures, as well as ceramics. With this certification in hand it will automatically allow you to qualify for higher paid positions as it certifies your skills as a technician in a particular area of work.
Being properly certified, you can expect an increased Dental Technician salary at this level ranging from $55,000 to $65,000 again dependent on your skill and ability.