Orthodontic technician vs assistant

The differences between orthodontic technicians and assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an orthodontic technician and an assistant. Additionally, an orthodontic technician has an average salary of $73,370, which is higher than the $37,363 average annual salary of an assistant.

The top three skills for an orthodontic technician include patients, scheduling appointments and patient care. The most important skills for an assistant are patients, customer service, and patient care.

Orthodontic technician vs assistant overview

	Orthodontic Technician	Assistant
Yearly salary	$73,370	$37,363
Hourly rate	$35.27	$17.96
Growth rate	2%	-8%
Number of jobs	31,940	557,900
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	44	50
Years of experience	2	2

Orthodontic technician vs assistant salary

Orthodontic technicians and assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Orthodontic Technician	Assistant
Average salary	$73,370	$37,363
Salary range	Between $44,000 And $120,000	Between $16,000 And $82,000
Highest paying City	-	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	Latham & Watkins
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between orthodontic technician and assistant education

There are a few differences between an orthodontic technician and an assistant in terms of educational background:

	Orthodontic Technician	Assistant
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Dental Assisting	Business
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	Western Carolina University

Orthodontic technician vs assistant demographics

Here are the differences between orthodontic technicians' and assistants' demographics:

	Orthodontic Technician	Assistant
Average age	44	50
Gender ratio	Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0%	Male, 40.7% Female, 59.3%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	5%	6%

Differences between orthodontic technician and assistant duties and responsibilities

Orthodontic technician example responsibilities.

Discuss orthodontic procedures with patients and/or parents.
Fix old splints that are send back in for repairs (i.e.
Sterilize instruments using autoclaves, ultrasonic's and chemical disinfectants to maintain accept standards.
Compose written reports of data collect from patient evaluation and present to department chief for thorough analysis of patient diagnosis.
Make models of the mouth and teeth from impressions.
Keep lab orderly, make models of teeth and create retainers, sterilize orthodontic equipment and file teeth models.

Assistant example responsibilities.

Manage circulations, including educational textbooks and DVDS, video technology and supplies.
Manage branches providing information technology support, logistics, training and operational support.
Manage company's twitter account and communicate with multiple physical therapy providers around the country
Optimize productivity in prioritizing and managing special projects, PowerPoint presentations for classes, and proctore exams for undergraduate classes.
Assist in jewelry design and assembly, manage company Facebook page, participate in wholesale buying, and manage retail inventory
Manage and update company Facebook page with daily updates, finding/sharing relevant and interesting information, and encouraging fan engagement.

Orthodontic technician vs assistant skills

Common orthodontic technician skills

Patients, 45%
Scheduling Appointments, 7%
Patient Care, 6%
Oral Hygiene, 4%
Front Desk, 4%
Examination Rooms, 3%

Common assistant skills

Patients, 27%
Customer Service, 13%
Patient Care, 8%
CPR, 5%
Sales Floor, 5%
Scheduling Appointments, 3%