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The differences between dental technicians and orthodontic technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a dental technician and an orthodontic technician. Additionally, an orthodontic technician has an average salary of $73,370, which is higher than the $68,232 average annual salary of a dental technician.
The top three skills for a dental technician include patients, dentures and dental care. The most important skills for an orthodontic technician are patients, scheduling appointments, and patient care.
| Dental Technician | Orthodontic Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $68,232 | $73,370 |
| Hourly rate | $32.80 | $35.27 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 45,536 | 31,940 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 28% | High School Diploma, 34% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Dental technicians and orthodontic technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Dental Technician | Orthodontic Technician | |
| Average salary | $68,232 | $73,370 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $115,000 | Between $44,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | Columbia, MD | - |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | - |
| Best paying company | Private Practice | - |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between a dental technician and an orthodontic technician in terms of educational background:
| Dental Technician | Orthodontic Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 28% | High School Diploma, 34% |
| Most common major | Dental Assisting | Dental Assisting |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between dental technicians' and orthodontic technicians' demographics:
| Dental Technician | Orthodontic Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.6% Female, 48.4% | Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.2% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 21.9% Asian, 9.5% White, 57.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 9.5% White, 59.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |