Production
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)
US median pay
$49,610
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
-5.9%
declining
Openings a year (US)
3,600
34,400 employed
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Preparation 2/5 · Some preparation
What this job is
Construct and repair full or partial dentures or dental appliances.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- Prepare metal surfaces for bonding with porcelain to create artificial teeth, using small hand tools.
- Rebuild or replace linings, wire sections, or missing teeth to repair dentures.
- Apply porcelain paste or wax over prosthesis frameworks or setups, using brushes and spatulas.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Time Management3.2/5
- Operations Monitoring3.1/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.0/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.9/5
- Quality Control Analysis2.9/5
- Operation and Control2.8/5
- Instructing2.8/5
Knowledge
- Design3.8/5
- Administration and Management3.8/5
- English Language3.6/5
- Medicine and Dentistry3.6/5
- Production and Processing3.5/5
- Education and Training3.5/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 2 of 5 — Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma; some previous work experience or training helps.
Typical entry education (BLS): High school diploma or equivalent.
Highest education of people in this job:
- High school diploma52%
- Post-secondary certificate18%
- Less than high school13%
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Investigative
Ideas, research and solving problems
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.