Dental Laboratory Technicians
SOC 51-9081 · 2024-2034
Construct and repair full or partial dentures or dental appliances.
How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.
Shrinking -2.1%
California projects this job will shrink over the next ten years. Fewer openings may mean a harder search.
What California expects of this job
- Typical pay in California
- $48,492per year
- Projected openings
- 5,390
- Projected change
- -2.1%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
Skills this work uses most
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, rates how important each of these is to this work, and they are listed in that order, most important first. The ratings themselves are not shown, because the data carries the number without the scale it was measured on. The names are as published, in English.
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Time Management
- Operations Monitoring
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Speaking
Pay by region
| Region | Typical pay in California | Projected openings |
|---|---|---|
| Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) | $57,792 | 220 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA (El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties) | $50,375 | 310 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $49,557 | 880 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) | $49,508 | 1,320 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA (Santa Barbara County) | $48,693 | 60 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA (San Diego County) | $48,652 | 340 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | $47,451 | 290 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA (Ventura County) | $46,118 | 50 |
What the pay actually ranges across
- The lowest-paid tenth earn under
- $37,497
- A quarter earn under
- $40,084
- Half earn under
- $48,492
- Three quarters earn under
- $62,136
- The highest-paid tenth earn over
- $75,893
A median is one point. These are the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for California, and they say how far apart the people doing this job actually are. Read them as the spread across everyone already in the work — not as a starting wage and not as a promise about where anyone lands.
Similar work
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, names these as occupations involving work similar to this one — its own reading of the job, not a grouping by code. They keep O*NET's order, and only those California publishes a projection for are shown.
| Occupation | Typical pay in California | Projected openings | Projected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Appliance Technicians | $52,706 | 1,760 | +7.1% |
| Dental Assistants | $51,379 | 81,180 | +10% |
| Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians | $48,492 | 2,130 | +5.9% |
| Medical Equipment Repairers | $74,499 | 6,840 | +9% |
| Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic | $50,312 | 5,510 | +2.3% |
| Calibration Technologists and Technicians | $81,222 | 1,070 | 0% |
Programs that train for this job — 2
DENTL: Associate in science degree Dental Assisting
Diablo Valley College · Pleasant Hill · $5,143
DENHY: Dental Hygiene Associate in Science Degree
Diablo Valley College · Pleasant Hill · $8,562