Dental Laboratory Technician Salary: How Much Do They Make? (2026)

Median pay, hourly rates, salary ranges, and best-paying states for Dental Laboratory Technicians — from official U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Official BLS wage data · Unknown vintage
Median Salary
$49,610
per year, national
Hourly Rate
$23.85
based on 2,080 hrs/yr
Top 10% Earn
$76,940
entry level starts ~$36,660
Pay Grade
C+
modest pay · 34,000 employed

How much does a Dental Laboratory Technician make?

Dental Laboratory Technicians in the United States bring home a median salary of $49,610 a year, or around $23.85 an hour. Pay spans a wide range: the bottom 10% earn under $36,660, while the top 10% earn $76,940.

That is $11,780 less than the median across all occupations in BLS data ($61,390).

Dental Laboratory Technician salary range by percentile

Half of all Dental Laboratory Technicians earn between $40,420 and $62,070 a year.

Pay levelAnnual salaryHourly rate
10th percentile (entry level)$36,660$17.63
25th percentile (early career)$40,420$19.43
50th percentile (median)$49,610$23.85
75th percentile (experienced)$62,070$29.84
90th percentile (top earners)$76,940$36.99

Highest-paying states for Dental Laboratory Technician

Where you work matters more than almost anything else. Massachusetts leads the country for Dental Laboratory Technician pay at $72,800 a year, followed by North Dakota ($67,580) and Maine ($64,020). At the other end, South Carolina posts the lowest median at $37,170 — a gap of $35,630 for the same job, driven by local demand, industry mix, and cost of living.

#StateMedian salaryHourlyvs national
1Massachusetts$72,800$35.00+47%
2North Dakota$67,580$32.49+36%
3Maine$64,020$30.78+29%
4Colorado$61,220$29.43+23%
5New Hampshire$60,610$29.14+22%

Workforce and education

About 34,000 people work as Dental Laboratory Technicians in the United States. The mean (average) wage is $54,290 — above the median, which means high earners pull the average up. On qualifications: a high school diploma is typically enough, with most skills learned on the job, per O*NET occupation data.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Dental Laboratory Technician make in the United States?
The median Dental Laboratory Technician salary in the United States is $49,610 per year, or about $23.85 per hour, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates. Entry-level pay (10th percentile) starts around $36,660, while the top 10% of earners make $76,940 or more.
How does Dental Laboratory Technician pay compare to other jobs?
With a pay grade of C+ (modest pay), the Dental Laboratory Technician median of $49,610 is below the national median across all occupations tracked in BLS data ($61,390).
Which state pays Dental Laboratory Technicians the most?
Massachusetts is the highest-paying state for Dental Laboratory Technicians, with a median salary of $72,800 per year, based on official state-level BLS wage estimates.
How long does it take to become a Dental Laboratory Technician?
Becoming a Dental Laboratory Technician typically requires a high school diploma. A high school diploma is typically enough, with most skills learned on the job.
How many Dental Laboratory Technicians work in the United States?
About 34,000 people were employed as Dental Laboratory Technicians in the United States in the latest BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics estimates.

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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Unknown vintage. Education requirements: O*NET (U.S. Department of Labor). Percentiles, employment, and state figures are official BLS estimates; hourly figures assume 2,080 hours/year. Individual pay varies by employer, experience, and location.