How to become a Dental Laboratory Technician

Official title: Dental Laboratory Technicians

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), Porcelain Technician (Porcelain Tech), Waxer

Construct and repair full or partial dentures or dental appliances.

Main 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.

How to become one

To enter the occupation, dental or ophthalmic laboratory technicians or medical appliance technicians typically need at least a high school diploma or equivalent. They typically receive on-the-job training to attain competency.

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Dental Ceramist.
• Apprenticeship: Dental Laboratory Technician.
• Apprenticeship: Orthodontic Technician.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $49,610 a year The middle half earn $40,420 to $62,070.
• About 34,400 people work in this job now, and about 32,300 are projected by 2035. (-5.9%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Medical Appliance Technicians
• Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians
• Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
• Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Dental Laboratory Technician?

To enter the occupation, dental or ophthalmic laboratory technicians or medical appliance technicians typically need at least a high school diploma or equivalent. They typically receive on-the-job training to attain competency.

How much does a Dental Laboratory Technician earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $49,610 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $40,420 to $62,070.

Is a Dental Laboratory Technician a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 6% by 2035, from about 34,400 to about 32,300 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Dental Laboratory Technician?

Usually not. Only 20% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Dental Ceramist.

Will AI change the work of a Dental Laboratory Technician?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.