Dental Laboratory Tech

Types of Degrees Dental Laboratory Tech Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many dental laboratory technology/technician graduations there were in 2021-2022 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Undergraduate Certificate	121
Basic Certificate	99
Associate Degree	94
Bachelor’s Degree	9

What Dental Laboratory Tech Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to dental laboratory tech and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Dental Laboratory Tech Majors

Dental Laboratory Tech majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Skills for Dental Laboratory Tech Majors

When studying dental laboratory tech, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Abilities for Dental Laboratory Tech Majors

As a dental laboratory tech major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

What Can You Do With a Dental Laboratory Tech Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with dental laboratory tech:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Dental Laboratory Technicians	14.4%	$40,440

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Dental Laboratory Tech?

The major attracts more women than men. About 70% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of dental laboratory tech majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	20
Black or African American	11
Hispanic or Latino	22
White	21
International Students	14
Other Races/Ethnicities	6

Geographic Diversity

Dental Laboratory Tech appeals to people across the globe. About 14.9% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Dental Laboratory Tech Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $43,180 to $122,320 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to dental laboratory tech. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Dental Laboratory Tech

Some degrees associated with dental laboratory tech may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for dental laboratory tech careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	6.4%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	24.6%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	13.9%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	11.7%
Bachelor’s Degree	9.4%
Master’s Degree	15.3%
Doctoral Degree	10.6%
Post-Doctoral Training	8.1%

Online Dental Laboratory Tech Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	13	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	4	0
Associate’s Degree	21	0
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	1	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Dental Laboratory Tech Worth It?

The median salary for a dental laboratory tech grad is $43,180 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 8% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $65,600 after 20 years!

Trades Related to Dental Laboratory Tech

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to dental laboratory tech.

Major	Number of Grads
Dental Assisting/Assistant	17,068
Dental Hygiene/Hygienist	8,524
Other Dental Services & Allied Professions	109

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.