Orthodontic technician vs dental laboratory worker

The differences between orthodontic technicians and dental laboratory workers 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 a dental laboratory worker. Additionally, an orthodontic technician has an average salary of $73,370, which is higher than the $72,997 average annual salary of a dental laboratory worker.

The top three skills for an orthodontic technician include patients, scheduling appointments and patient care. The most important skills for a dental laboratory worker are dentures, mouth guards, and .

Orthodontic technician vs dental laboratory worker overview

	Orthodontic Technician	Dental Laboratory Worker
Yearly salary	$73,370	$72,997
Hourly rate	$35.27	$35.09
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	31,940	79,089
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 30%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	2

Orthodontic technician vs dental laboratory worker salary

Orthodontic technicians and dental laboratory workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Orthodontic Technician	Dental Laboratory Worker
Average salary	$73,370	$72,997
Salary range	Between $44,000 And $120,000	Between $52,000 And $101,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between orthodontic technician and dental laboratory worker education

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

	Orthodontic Technician	Dental Laboratory Worker
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 30%
Most common major	Dental Assisting	Dental Assisting
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	University of Southern California

Orthodontic technician vs dental laboratory worker demographics

Here are the differences between orthodontic technicians' and dental laboratory workers' demographics:

	Orthodontic Technician	Dental Laboratory Worker
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0%	Male, 54.5% Female, 45.5%
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, 8.4% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 9.4% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between orthodontic technician and dental laboratory worker 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.

Dental laboratory worker example responsibilities.

Manage operations of dental laboratory as lead technician, working directly with patients and dentists in an in-house dental laboratory.
Assume full accountability in waxing up and fabricating PFM crowns, color match, stain, glaze and finish PFM crowns.
Manage operations of dental laboratory as lead technician, working directly with patients and dentists in an in-house dental laboratory.
Perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation and operate resuscitation equipment.

Orthodontic technician vs dental laboratory worker skills

Common orthodontic technician skills

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

Common dental laboratory worker skills

Dentures, 79%
Mouth Guards, 21%

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Orthodontic Technician
Orthodontic Technician vs Dental Laboratory Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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