Dental Laboratory Technicians
Construct and repair full or partial dentures or dental appliances.
- O*NET-SOC code
51-9081.00 - Preparation Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$49,610
Employment, U.S.34,410
Median hourly wage$23.85
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $36,660 | $40,420 | $49,610 | $62,070 | $76,940 |
By state (46)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 1,050 | $45,760 | 2.24 |
| Arizona | 950 | $47,930 | 1.33 |
| Arkansas | 840 | $49,960 | 2.93 |
| California | 4,480 | $47,410 | 1.11 |
| Colorado | 410 | $61,220 | 0.65 |
| Delaware | $38,500 | ||
| Florida | 2,330 | $59,790 | 1.06 |
| Georgia | 1,460 | $49,310 | 1.35 |
| Hawaii | 120 | $45,300 | 0.84 |
| Idaho | 370 | $47,380 | 1.94 |
| Illinois | 2,030 | $51,380 | 1.50 |
| Indiana | 680 | $49,920 | 0.95 |
| Iowa | 380 | $47,520 | 1.11 |
| Kansas | 570 | $56,790 | 1.78 |
| Kentucky | 420 | $46,770 | 0.96 |
| Louisiana | 330 | $38,490 | 0.78 |
| Maine | 120 | $64,020 | 0.88 |
| Maryland | 590 | $47,850 | 0.97 |
| Massachusetts | 440 | $72,800 | 0.55 |
| Michigan | 1,180 | $49,570 | 1.22 |
| Minnesota | 390 | $56,090 | 0.59 |
| Mississippi | 140 | $47,770 | 0.55 |
| Missouri | 740 | $46,870 | 1.14 |
| Montana | 110 | $47,560 | 0.96 |
| Nebraska | 190 | $58,590 | 0.83 |
| Nevada | 200 | $48,190 | 0.59 |
| New Hampshire | 120 | $60,610 | 0.78 |
| New Jersey | 780 | $47,270 | 0.82 |
| New Mexico | 130 | $45,300 | 0.65 |
| New York | 1,890 | $52,460 | 0.88 |
| North Carolina | 990 | $49,700 | 0.91 |
| North Dakota | 60 | $67,580 | 0.67 |
| Ohio | 1,160 | $48,480 | 0.94 |
| Oklahoma | 250 | $48,670 | 0.65 |
| Oregon | 570 | $48,800 | 1.31 |
| Pennsylvania | 930 | $49,280 | 0.69 |
| Rhode Island | $45,320 | ||
| South Carolina | 260 | $37,170 | 0.51 |
| South Dakota | 120 | $48,370 | 1.16 |
| Tennessee | 610 | $48,880 | 0.84 |
| Texas | 1,770 | $46,330 | 0.57 |
| Utah | 1,300 | $47,110 | 3.39 |
| Virginia | 1,050 | $51,900 | 1.16 |
| Washington | 670 | $56,400 | 0.86 |
| West Virginia | $47,740 | ||
| Wisconsin | 800 | $47,170 | 1.23 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medical Appliance Technicians | 1-2 | 0.951 |
| 2 | Etchers and Engravers | 1-2 | 0.948 |
| 3 | Glass Blowers, Molders, Benders, and Finishers | 1-2 | 0.940 |
| 4 | Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians | 1-2 | 0.940 |
| 5 | Endoscopy Technicians | 1-2 | 0.933 |
| 6 | Prepress Technicians and Workers | 3 | 0.929 |
| 7 | Watch and Clock Repairers | 3 | 0.928 |
| 8 | Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | 1-2 | 0.928 |
| 9 | Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers | 1-2 | 0.926 |
| 10 | Team Assemblers | 1-2 | 0.926 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Dental Laboratory Technicians, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Endoscopy Technicians | Reading Comprehension | 1.00 | 0.933 |
| Electromechanical Equipment Assemblers | Troubleshooting | 0.87 | 0.919 |
| Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | Operations Monitoring | 0.88 | 0.916 |
| Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic | Mathematics | 0.87 | 0.915 |
| Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | Equipment Maintenance | 1.00 | 0.909 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Dental Laboratory Technicians, excluding software Dental Laboratory Technicians already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Autodesk AutoCAD | 7 of 20 | 1.9x |
| Adobe Illustrator | 3 of 20 | 1.4x |
| SAP software | 7 of 20 | 1.1x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.38 | 3.00 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.38 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 2.75 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.50 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.38 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.12 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 1.75 |
| Science | Essential skill | 2.12 | 1.50 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.00 | 2.25 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 2.12 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.75 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.62 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.12 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.50 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.25 | not rated |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Design | 3.78 | 4.06 |
| Administration and Management | 3.78 | 3.60 |
| English Language | 3.64 | 3.39 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 3.61 | 3.59 |
| Production and Processing | 3.51 | 3.90 |
| Education and Training | 3.46 | 4.07 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.38 | 3.01 |
| Mechanical | 3.17 | 3.19 |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.01 | 3.22 |
| Engineering and Technology | 2.82 | 3.00 |
| Chemistry | 2.58 | 3.02 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.47 | 2.32 |
| Administrative | 2.44 | 2.04 |
| Sales and Marketing | 2.40 | 2.28 |
| Mathematics | 2.17 | 2.11 |
| Fine Arts | 1.98 | 2.00 |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.96 | 1.48 |
| Physics | 1.91 | 1.60 |
| Telecommunications | 1.90 | 1.21 |
| Biology | 1.82 | 1.48 |
| Public Safety and Security | 1.81 | 1.24 |
| Communications and Media | 1.79 | 1.27 |
| Building and Construction | 1.71 | 1.16 |
| Transportation | 1.69 | 1.06 |
| Psychology | 1.63 | 1.51 |
| Law and Government | 1.38 | not rated |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.26 | not rated |
| History and Archeology | 1.25 | not rated |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.19 | not rated |
| Foreign Language | 1.17 | not rated |
| Geography | 1.14 | not rated |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.12 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.11 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Near Vision | 4.00 | 4.38 |
| Finger Dexterity | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Control Precision | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.88 | 3.75 |
| Visualization | 3.62 | 3.75 |
| Information Ordering | 3.38 | 3.25 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.38 | 3.00 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.38 | 2.88 |
| Selective Attention | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.25 | 2.88 |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.12 | 3.88 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.12 | 2.88 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.12 | 2.38 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Oral Expression | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Far Vision | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Written Expression | 2.75 | 2.38 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.75 | 2.00 |
| Originality | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.62 | 2.12 |
| Reaction Time | 2.38 | 2.38 |
| Time Sharing | 2.38 | 2.38 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.12 | 2.25 |
| Depth Perception | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Memorization | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Rate Control | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Trunk Strength | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Number Facility | 2.00 | 2.12 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Static Strength | 2.00 | 1.50 |
| Response Orientation | 1.88 | 1.25 |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.88 | 0.88 |
| Extent Flexibility | 1.62 | 1.00 |
| Dynamic Strength | 1.50 | 0.62 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.38 | 0.50 |
| Explosive Strength | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Night Vision | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Sound Localization | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Gross Body Coordination | 1.00 | not rated |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 1.00 | not rated |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.00 | not rated |
| Stamina | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Intuit QuickBooks hot
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft PowerPoint hot
- Microsoft Windows hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- Bookkeeping software
- Computer aided design and drafting CADD software
- Computer imaging software
- Database management software
- Dental product design software
- Dental product manufacturing software
- Easy Solutions Easy Lab
- Email software
- Graphics software
- Inventrix Labtrac
- Jenmar International DL-Plus
- LabMagic
- Laboratory Systems Group Lab Manager
- Mainstreet Systems & Software DentaLab/PC II
- Mainstreet Systems & Software DentaRX
- Scheduling software
- Web browser software
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gainesville, GA | 160 | 7.04 | $48,080 |
| Huntsville, AL | 410 | 6.94 | $43,580 |
| Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | 430 | 6.31 | $45,770 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 140 | 4.70 | $47,030 |
| Green Bay, WI | 160 | 4.09 | $47,750 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 710 | 3.86 | $47,110 |
| Syracuse, NY | 220 | 3.26 | $47,510 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | 110 | 3.08 | $37,450 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 310 | 2.61 | $47,610 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 2,710 | 1.95 | $46,460 |