Data & Research
 
* ELMI Occupation Profile - Dental Laboratory Technicians *
 
Dental Laboratory Technicians
(O*NET 51-9081.00, SOC 51-9081)
What they do
Construct and repair full or partial dentures or dental appliances.
 
Also called:
Ceramist, Crown and Bridge Dental Laboratory Technician (Crown and Bridge Dental Lab Tech), Dental Ceramist, Dental Laboratory Technician (Dental Lab Tech), Dental Technician (Dental Tech), Denture Technician (Denture Tech), Metal Finisher, Orthodontic Laboratory Technician (Ortho Lab Tech), Porcelain Technician (Porcelain Tech), Waxer
 
 
Wages
Vermont - 2023
Percentile1HourlyYearly
10% $ 18.88   $39,270  
25% $ 19.02   $39,550  
Median $ 25.60   $53,240  
75% $ 29.07   $60,470  
90% $ 39.07   $81,260  
 
Average $ 26.27   $54,650  
1 What are Percentile Wages?
More at CareerOneStop
 
Industries of Employment
United States - 2020
IndustryPercent of total
  • Miscellaneous manufacturing
79%
  • Ambulatory healthcare services
14%
  • Self-employed workers
4%
  • Federal government, excluding postal service
2%
  • Educational services; state, local, and private
1%
More at BLS
 
Knowledge
People in this career often know a lot about:
  • Administration and Management
    Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  • Design
    Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
  • English Language
    Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Medicine and Dentistry
    Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
  • Production and Processing
    Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
More at O*NET
 
Skills
People in this career often have these skills:
  • Reading Comprehension
    Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
  • Critical Thinking
    Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  • Time Management
    Managing one's own time and the time of others.
  • Judgment and Decision Making
    Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Operations Monitoring
    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
More at O*NET
 
Interests
People in this career often prefer these work environments:
  • Realistic
    Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
  • Investigative
    Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.
  • Conventional
    Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
What are your interests? Take the O*NET Interest Profiler
 
Work Styles
People in this career will do well at jobs that need:
  • Attention to Detail
    Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
  • Dependability
    Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
  • Integrity
    Job requires being honest and ethical.
  • Initiative
    Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
  • Achievement/Effort
    Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
More at O*NET
 
Tasks
On the job, you would:
  • Read prescriptions or specifications and examine models or impressions to determine the design of dental products to be constructed.
  • Test appliances for conformance to specifications and accuracy of occlusion, using articulators and micrometers.
  • Fabricate, alter, or repair dental devices, such as dentures, crowns, bridges, inlays, or appliances for straightening teeth.
  • Place tooth models on an apparatus that mimics bite and movement of patient's jaw to evaluate functionality of model.
  • Remove excess metal or porcelain and polish surfaces of prostheses or frameworks, using polishing machines.
More at O*NET
 
Related Occupations
More at O*NET
 
 
Career Video
Watch at CareerOneStop with transcript or at YouTube.
 
Projected Employment
Projected employment not available for Vermont
but may be for the nation and other states at
CareerOneStop
 
Education and Experience:
  • Typical education needed for entry
    High school diploma or equivalent
  • Work experience in a related occupation
    None
  • Typical on-the-job training needed to attain competency
    Moderate-term on-the-job training
Based on BLS Education and Training Classifications
 
Physical Work Activity
Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
 
  • Physical activity is Somewhat Important
  • Level of activity is Low
Importance
Low   High
Level
Compare Occupations at O*NET
 
Job Zone
Some Preparation Needed
  • Specific Vocational Preparation Range
    (4.0 to < 6.0) - A typical worker will require over 3 months up to and including 1 year of training to achieve average performance in this occupation.
Based on O*Net Job Zones and SVP
 
Education Level
How much education do most people in this career have?
Education level Percent of
U.S. Workers
Doctoral or professional degree
or post-MA certificate
  0%
Master's degree or
post-BA certificate
  6%
Bachelor's degree   2%
Associate's degree   2%
Certificate or some college,
no degree
  26%
High school diploma
or equivalent
  52%
Less than high school diploma   13%
More at O*NET
 
Abilities
People in this career often have talent in:
  • Finger Dexterity
    The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
  • Near Vision
    The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness
    The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • Control Precision
    The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
  • Visualization
    The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
More at O*NET
 
Work Activities
In general, what you might do:
  • Thinking Creatively
    Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
  • Getting Information
    Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Processing Information
    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
More at O*NET
 
Detailed Work Activities
What you might do in a day:
  • Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements.
  • Inspect medical or dental assistive devices.
  • Construct customized assistive medical or dental devices.
  • Repair medical or dental assistive devices.
  • Prepare materials for processing.
More at O*NET
 
Other Resources
  • CareerOneStop
    resource for job seekers, students, businessess and career professionals
  • O*NET Online
    nation's primary source of occupational information
 
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This page includes information from the O*NET 28.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

BLS

This page includes information produced in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics and State Occupational Projections programs.

 
 
 
 
Vermont.gov State of Vermont Department of Labor