Last week we spoke about dental techs--what they are and how to become one. This week, let's talk about how much they make.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) lists these jobs under Dental and Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians and Medical Appliance Technicians. That's a good place to start, but we discovered salary data varies pretty widely by source. So we'll use a few sources to cover our bases.
Let's dig in and find out just how much dental techs make.
How much do dental techs make?
So just how much does a dental technician make?
According to the BLS, these techs earn around $41,180 per year or about $20 per hour. Salary.com places dental tech salaries a little highter, at around $59k per year, with a salary range falling between $52k and $66k.
We've also compiled a list of dental tech salaries by state and the top 10 states for dental technician salaries.
Let's take a look at salaries by state next...
Dental Tech Salaries by State
Hers's a list of dental tech salaries by state. States fall within a range of $25 to $32 per hour.
| State | Median Annual Salary | Salary Range | Hourly Rate |
| Alabama | $54,671 | $42,646 - $67,179 | $26.28 |
| Alaska | $64,925 | $50,645 - $79,778 | $31.21 |
| Arizona | $58,284 | $45,464 - $71,617 | $28.02 |
| Arkansas | $54,231 | $42,303 - $66,638 | $26.07 |
| California | $65,639 | $51,202 - $80,655 | $31.56 |
| Colorado | $60,122 | $46,899 - $73,877 | $28.90 |
| Connecticut | $64,139 | $50,032 - $78,813 | $30.84 |
| Delaware | $60,789 | $47,418 - $74,696 | $29.23 |
| Florida | $56,534 | $44,099 - $69,468 | $27.18 |
| Georgia | $57,744 | $45,043 - $70,954 | $27.76 |
| Hawaii | $62,437 | $48,704 - $76,721 | $30.02 |
| Idaho | $55,252 | $43,100 - $67,892 | $26.56 |
| Illinois | $61,146 | $47,697 - $75,135 | $29.40 |
| Indiana | $58,034 | $45,269 - $71,310 | $27.90 |
| Iowa | $56,951 | $56,951 - $69,979 | $27.38 |
| Kansas | $56,665 | $44,202 - $69,628 | $27.24 |
| Kentucky | $55,998 | $43,682 - $68,809 | $26.92 |
| Louisiana | $56,582 | $44,137 - $69,526 | $27.20 |
| Maine | $57,367 | $44,749 - $70,491 | $27.58 |
| Maryland | $61,358 | $47,862 - $75,395 | $29.50 |
| Massachusetts | $64,764 | $50,519 - $79,581 | $31.14 |
| Michigan | $59,020 | $46,039 - $72,523 | $28.38 |
| Minnesota | $60,985 | $47,572 - $74,937 | $29.32 |
| Mississippi | $53,071 | $41,398 - $65,212 | $25.51 |
| Missouri | $56,704 | $44,232 - $69,676 | $27.26 |
| Montana | $54,403 | $42,437 - $66,849 | $26.16 |
| Nebraska | $55,838 | $43,556 - $68,612 | $26.85 |
| Nevada | $60,152 | $46,922 - $73,913 | $28.92 |
| New Hampshire | $60,295 | $47,033 - $74,089 | $28.99 |
| New Jersey | $65,514 | $51,104 - $80,502 | $31.50 |
| New Mexico | $54,892 | $42,818 - $67,449 | $26.39 |
| New York | $63,503 | $49,535 - $78,030 | $30.53 |
| North Carolina | $57,129 | $44,564 - $70,199 | $27.47 |
| North Dakota | $57,141 | $44,573 - $70,213 | $27.47 |
| Ohio | $58,365 | $45,528 - $71,718 | $28.06 |
| Oklahoma | $55,023 | $42,921 - $67,611 | $26.45 |
| Oregon | $59,831 | $46,671 - $73,519 | $28.76 |
| Pennsylvania | $59,390 | $46,328 - $72,977 | $28.55 |
| Rhode Island | $62,366 | $48,649 - $76,634 | $29.98 |
| South Carolina | $56,184 | $43,826 - $69,037 | $27.01 |
| South Dakota | $52,440 | $40,906 - $64,437 | $25.21 |
| Tennessee | $54,707 | $42,674 - $67,223 | $26.30 |
| Texas | $58,498 | $58,498 - $71,881 | $28.12 |
| Utah | $56,308 | $43,923 - $69,190 | $27.07 |
| Vermont | $57,308 | $44,703 - $70,418 | $27.55 |
| Virginia | $59,152 | $46,142 - $72,685 | $28.44 |
| Washington | $63,848 | $49,804 - $78,454 | $30.70 |
| West Virginia | $53,587 | $41,801 - $65,846 | $25.76 |
| Wisconsin | $58,617 | $45,724 - $72,027 | $28.18 |
| Wyoming | $54,737 | $42,698 - $67,259 | $26.32 |
Top Ten States for Dental Tech Salaries
Now let's find out which states are the highest paying states for dental tech jobs.
- California $65,639
- New Jersey $65,514
- Alaska $64,925
- Massachusetts $64,764
- Connecticut $64,139
- Washington $63,848
- New York $63,503
- Hawaii $62,437
- Rhode Island $62,366
- Maryland $61,358
Other top-paying states include Maine, Vermont, Virginia.
States with the Highest Employment Level
Top pay doesn't mean much if you can't find a job. So let's take a look at the top five states with the highest employment level for dental techs.
- California
- Florida
- New York
- Texas
- Georgia
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