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Orthodontic technician vs technician

The differences between orthodontic technicians and technicians 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 technician. Additionally, an orthodontic technician has an average salary of $73,370, which is higher than the $38,045 average annual salary of a technician.

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

Orthodontic technician vs technician overview

Orthodontic TechnicianTechnician
Yearly salary$73,370$38,045
Hourly rate$35.27$18.29
Growth rate2%1%
Number of jobs31,940596,842
Job satisfaction52
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 34%Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age4440
Years of experience22

Orthodontic technician vs technician salary

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

Orthodontic TechnicianTechnician
Average salary$73,370$38,045
Salary rangeBetween $44,000 And $120,000Between $24,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City-San Jose, CA
Highest paying state-Hawaii
Best paying company-Microsoft
Best paying industry-Telecommunication

Differences between orthodontic technician and technician education

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

Orthodontic TechnicianTechnician
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 34%Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common majorDental AssistingBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of Michigan - Ann Arbor-

Orthodontic technician vs technician demographics

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

Orthodontic TechnicianTechnician
Average age4440
Gender ratioMale, 14.0% Female, 86.0%Male, 75.2% Female, 24.8%
Race ratioBlack 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, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage5%2%

Differences between orthodontic technician and technician 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.
  • Show more

Technician example responsibilities.

  • Achieve multiple ASE certifications within first year of employment.
  • Implement and manage UHF radio base stations, repeaters, and command network, effectively linking all regional headquarters.
  • Manage telecommunications installation and repair for hospital Nortel network.
  • Maintain numerous automate scripts to assist in managing Linux systems.
  • Manage, troubleshot and repair multiple wireless technologies including fiber optic transmission switches.
  • Install peripherals including printers, fax machines, scanners, and smartphones.
  • Show more

Orthodontic technician vs technician skills

Common orthodontic technician skills
  • Patients, 45%
  • Scheduling Appointments, 7%
  • Patient Care, 6%
  • Oral Hygiene, 4%
  • Front Desk, 4%
  • Examination Rooms, 3%
Common technician skills
  • Patients, 16%
  • Customer Service, 14%
  • Patient Care, 8%
  • Hand Tools, 6%
  • Diagnosis, 5%
  • Preventative Maintenance, 4%

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