Dental Technicians

Median Salary: $34,800

Many dental technicians across the United States share a number of key professional traits. For example, independence, achievement/effort, and stress tolerance can be crucial for success in the industry, especially when mixed with career training. Around 40,480 individuals were working as dental technicians nationwide in 2009. With that much workplace competition, it's vital to hone these characteristics and receive proper training, particularly if you're aiming to progress in the field.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual income for dental technicians in the U.S. was $34,800 in 2009, which works out to a median hourly wage of $16.70. Of course, income can vary with training and by place. Below, you'll find more data about dental technicians, including wages and job density for metro areas all over the United States.

Dental technicians should be skilled in:

Near Vision
Problem Sensitivity
Arm-Hand Steadiness
Deductive Reasoning
Visualization

Different individuals go into different careers; dental technicians are typically:

Realistic
Investigative
Conventional

Working as a dental technician requires knowledge in subjects like:

Medicine and Dentistry
Production and Processing
Customer and Personal Service
Design

Related Occupations

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Below, you'll see links to more information on the top cities for this occupation (based on the number of individuals working as dental technicians). Note: "Job density" refers to the proportion of dental technicians in each city as compared to the national average.

Alabama
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Birmingham	170	$41,000	$19.70	$71,500	$34.40	9%
Decatur	60	$29,700	$14.30	$34,600	$16.60	267.1%
Dothan	90	$29,500	$14.20	$36,500	$17.60	402.3%
Florence	40	$28,200	$13.60	$33,100	$15.90	129%
Huntsville	310	$31,500	$15.10	$39,700	$19.10	382.3%
Mobile	50	$26,700	$12.90	$32,000	$15.40	-0.3%
Montgomery	40	$34,600	$16.60	$45,800	$22.00	-14.2%

Alaska
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Anchorage	80	$59,400	$28.60	$67,400	$32.40	57.4%

Arizona
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Phoenix	580	$32,000	$15.40	$38,900	$18.70	5.2%
Tucson	150	$32,600	$15.70	$41,900	$20.10	37.1%

Arkansas
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Little Rock	NA	$32,400	$15.60	$46,400	$22.30	NA

California
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Bakersfield	90	$29,200	$14.00	$36,700	$17.60	4.8%
Chico	70	$36,500	$17.60	$46,500	$22.30	203.5%
El Centro	NA	$37,000	$17.80	$50,700	$24.40	NA
Fresno	30	$37,300	$18.00	$60,400	$29.00	-69.7%
Los Angeles (Area)	1,780	$37,600	$18.10	$48,800	$23.50	25.2%
Modesto	30	$29,200	$14.00	$55,800	$26.80	-31%
Napa	NA	$38,600	$18.60	$51,200	$24.60	NA
Oakland	430	$40,600	$19.50	$52,700	$25.30	40.3%
Oxnard	60	$33,500	$16.10	$58,500	$28.10	-34.2%
Riverside	100	$47,400	$22.80	$76,500	$36.80	-72.3%
Sacramento	210	$39,300	$18.90	$50,100	$24.10	-21.9%
San Diego	450	$33,900	$16.30	$45,100	$21.70	14.2%
San Francisco (Area)	510	$36,300	$17.40	$50,600	$24.30	-17.1%
San Francisco (City)	80	$31,900	$15.40	$48,600	$23.40	-74.2%
San Jose	260	$30,900	$14.80	$39,800	$19.20	-4.2%
Santa Barbara	40	$34,500	$16.60	$52,600	$25.30	-15.2%
Santa Rosa	130	$33,300	$16.00	$41,900	$20.10	133.5%
Stockton	60	$30,600	$14.70	$39,000	$18.70	-13.2%
Vallejo	80	$39,100	$18.80	$47,000	$22.60	111.6%

Colorado
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Colorado Springs	110	$41,300	$19.90	$55,100	$26.50	43.9%
Denver	340	$35,400	$17.00	$53,600	$25.80	-9.7%
Grand Junction	30	$42,600	$20.50	$50,400	$24.30	66.8%
Greeley	NA	$24,200	$11.60	$25,800	$12.40	NA

Connecticut
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Bridgeport	210	$39,400	$18.90	$62,500	$30.00	64.5%
Hartford	100	$37,200	$17.90	$56,900	$27.40	-41.9%

Delaware
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Dover	NA	$21,100	$10.20	$24,900	$12.00	NA

District of Columbia
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Washington (Area)	640	$38,200	$18.30	$57,800	$27.80	-5.5%

Florida
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Bradenton	170	$31,800	$15.30	$56,300	$27.10	118.7%
Cape Coral	NA	$17,400	$8.40	$18,600	$9.00	NA
Fort Walton Beach	40	$23,800	$11.50	$36,100	$17.30	49.4%
Gainesville	50	$32,100	$15.40	$50,600	$24.30	41.9%
Jacksonville	310	$37,300	$17.90	$42,600	$20.50	71.3%
Lakeland	NA	$34,700	$16.70	$42,800	$20.60	NA
Miami (Area)	900	$31,300	$15.10	$38,700	$18.60	42.3%
Naples	NA	$37,000	$17.80	$43,200	$20.80	NA
Orlando	290	$31,500	$15.10	$39,600	$19.00	-6.8%
Palm Bay	60	$44,300	$21.30	$49,900	$24.00	-6.8%
Pensacola	190	$30,800	$14.80	$36,900	$17.80	307.7%
Port St. Lucie	60	NA	NA	NA	NA	60%
Tampa	580	$34,500	$16.60	$44,100	$21.20	64.8%

Georgia
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Atlanta	570	$38,300	$18.40	$48,100	$23.10	-19.4%
Augusta	80	$37,300	$18.00	$51,600	$24.80	21.9%
Gainesville	190	$35,500	$17.10	$49,500	$23.80	767.4%
Macon	40	$36,000	$17.30	$47,900	$23.00	24.2%

Hawaii
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Honolulu	150	$30,900	$14.80	$40,800	$19.60	13.5%

Idaho
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Boise City	100	$26,600	$12.80	$43,900	$21.10	16.5%
Coeur d'Alene	50	$47,800	$23.00	$69,900	$33.60	176.8%

Illinois
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Chicago (Area)	NA	$33,800	$16.30	$42,100	$20.20	NA
Springfield	60	$32,800	$15.80	$40,700	$19.60	75.2%

Indiana
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Bloomington	NA	$16,400	$7.90	$39,200	$18.90	NA
Fort Wayne	130	$31,600	$15.20	$42,000	$20.20	103.5%
Indianapolis	320	$38,300	$18.40	$44,600	$21.50	17.1%
South Bend	30	$35,400	$17.00	$39,400	$18.90	-21.9%

Iowa
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Cedar Rapids	150	$35,600	$17.10	$44,500	$21.40	256.5%
Davenport	100	$34,500	$16.60	$39,700	$19.10	73.2%
Des Moines	90	$37,100	$17.80	$47,600	$22.90	-5.2%
Sioux City	NA	$34,700	$16.70	$38,700	$18.60	NA
Waterloo	50	$29,900	$14.40	$37,600	$18.10	84.2%

Kansas
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Topeka	30	$33,900	$16.30	$45,000	$21.60	-8.1%
Wichita	110	$29,700	$14.30	$39,100	$18.80	23.9%

Kentucky
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Lexington	NA	$34,300	$16.50	$40,100	$19.30	NA
Louisville	230	$38,300	$18.40	$49,800	$23.90	24.8%

Louisiana
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Baton Rouge	140	$31,100	$14.90	$36,800	$17.70	24.5%
Lafayette	70	$28,000	$13.50	$31,600	$15.20	65.2%
Lake Charles	50	$21,000	$10.10	$23,500	$11.30	61.6%
New Orleans	140	$27,100	$13.00	$33,600	$16.20	-11.6%
Shreveport	130	$30,700	$14.80	$36,300	$17.50	143.9%

Maine
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Portland	60	$49,100	$23.60	$58,900	$28.30	-4.2%

Maryland
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Baltimore	220	$38,900	$18.70	$44,000	$21.20	-42.9%

Massachusetts
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Boston (Area)	NA	$44,400	$21.40	$60,100	$28.90	NA
Worcester	NA	$36,000	$17.30	$39,400	$18.90	NA

Michigan
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Battle Creek	NA	$32,700	$15.70	$42,400	$20.40	NA
Detroit (Area)	650	$35,700	$17.20	$43,300	$20.80	26.5%
Flint	90	$32,700	$15.70	$38,500	$18.50	106.8%
Grand Rapids	110	$31,600	$15.20	$39,800	$19.10	1%
Holland	NA	$35,400	$17.00	$39,500	$19.00	NA
Jackson	30	$48,200	$23.20	$52,800	$25.40	95.5%
Kalamazoo	50	$29,300	$14.10	$41,200	$19.80	9.4%
Lansing	NA	$37,100	$17.80	$40,200	$19.30	NA
Saginaw	40	$32,900	$15.80	$40,600	$19.50	60%

Minnesota
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Minneapolis	1,020	$46,100	$22.20	$57,200	$27.50	89.4%

Mississippi
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Gulfport	NA	$29,000	$14.00	$35,100	$16.90	NA
Jackson	50	$29,400	$14.10	$38,500	$18.50	-35.5%

Missouri
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Kansas City	490	$34,600	$16.60	$43,100	$20.70	61.3%
Springfield	110	$43,700	$21.00	$53,400	$25.70	85.2%
St. Louis	650	$36,800	$17.70	$49,200	$23.70	61.3%

Nebraska
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Lincoln	100	$34,100	$16.40	$47,800	$23.00	90.3%
Omaha	60	$33,900	$16.30	$46,600	$22.40	-57.1%

Nevada
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Las Vegas	100	$38,900	$18.70	$41,700	$20.10	-62.3%
Reno	90	$36,000	$17.30	$40,500	$19.50	44.8%

New Hampshire
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Manchester	NA	$42,600	$20.50	$47,600	$22.90	NA

New Mexico
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Albuquerque	60	$33,200	$16.00	$39,600	$19.10	-45.8%

New York
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Albany	90	$32,300	$15.50	$39,100	$18.80	-35.2%
Buffalo	500	$29,600	$14.20	$36,600	$17.60	200.3%
Glens Falls	50	NA	NA	NA	NA	211.3%
New York (Area)	2,100	$36,600	$17.60	$50,100	$24.10	-7.4%
Poughkeepsie	NA	$49,000	$23.60	$59,400	$28.60	NA
Rochester	80	$33,600	$16.20	$37,700	$18.10	-50.6%
Syracuse	NA	$36,400	$17.50	$43,900	$21.10	NA

North Carolina
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Asheville	130	$43,100	$20.70	$49,700	$23.90	148.1%
Charlotte	180	$33,200	$16.00	$45,200	$21.70	-29%
Durham	90	$42,300	$20.30	$50,200	$24.20	9.7%
Fayetteville	40	$43,300	$20.80	$56,600	$27.20	4.2%
Greensboro	110	$34,700	$16.70	$38,600	$18.50	-1.9%
Raleigh	80	$40,000	$19.20	$55,100	$26.50	-47.7%
Winston-Salem	NA	$37,700	$18.10	$41,700	$20.10	NA

North Dakota
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Fargo	110	$29,500	$14.20	$33,700	$16.20	208.1%

Ohio
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Akron	80	$33,100	$15.90	$38,000	$18.30	-19.4%
Canton	30	$33,600	$16.20	$39,300	$18.90	-32.9%
Cincinnati	320	$37,100	$17.80	$52,800	$25.40	3.9%
Cleveland	470	$31,200	$15.00	$39,200	$18.90	52.3%
Columbus	330	$36,100	$17.40	$46,900	$22.50	16.5%
Dayton	130	$40,400	$19.40	$46,900	$22.60	14.5%
Toledo	80	$34,100	$16.40	$41,200	$19.80	-17.1%
Youngstown	50	$32,500	$15.60	$37,200	$17.90	-31.3%

Oklahoma
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Oklahoma City	80	$26,800	$12.90	$35,100	$16.90	-56.8%
Tulsa	130	$31,800	$15.30	$41,500	$20.00	-1.6%

Oregon
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Corvallis	NA	$40,700	$19.60	$50,300	$24.20	NA
Eugene	NA	$38,000	$18.30	$46,600	$22.40	NA
Medford	60	$35,200	$16.90	$41,300	$19.90	163.5%
Portland	640	$38,000	$18.30	$44,900	$21.60	107.1%
Salem	50	$37,600	$18.10	$44,100	$21.20	9.4%

Pennsylvania
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Harrisburg	130	$33,200	$16.00	$49,900	$24.00	30.6%
Lancaster	40	$28,100	$13.50	$34,600	$16.60	-39.7%
Philadelphia (Area)	870	$39,100	$18.80	$48,100	$23.10	-2.9%
Reading	110	$31,600	$15.20	$38,100	$18.30	111%
Scranton	80	$38,400	$18.50	$47,400	$22.80	0.3%
York	NA	$27,900	$13.40	$43,000	$20.70	NA

Rhode Island
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Providence	150	$26,900	$12.90	$33,900	$16.30	-12.6%

South Carolina
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Charleston	60	$26,800	$12.90	$31,600	$15.20	-30.6%
Greenville	50	$29,500	$14.20	$54,400	$26.20	-42.3%

South Dakota
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Rapid City	30	$28,300	$13.60	$33,200	$16.00	83.9%

Tennessee
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Chattanooga	NA	$38,700	$18.60	$48,600	$23.40	NA
Kingsport	60	$31,300	$15.10	$40,000	$19.20	59%
Knoxville	70	$29,900	$14.40	$34,000	$16.40	-28.7%
Memphis	210	$31,000	$14.90	$37,500	$18.00	11.3%
Nashville	240	$30,900	$14.90	$39,000	$18.80	6.1%

Texas
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Amarillo	30	$37,000	$17.80	$45,600	$21.90	-9%
Austin	300	$28,400	$13.60	$33,300	$16.00	27.7%
Corpus Christi	60	$33,200	$16.00	$47,500	$22.80	11.3%
Dallas (Area)	770	$35,800	$17.20	$44,400	$21.30	-8.1%
El Paso	50	$18,400	$8.80	$24,200	$11.60	-38.1%
Houston	140	$25,800	$12.40	$34,300	$16.50	-82.9%
Lubbock	60	$24,300	$11.70	$31,600	$15.20	55.5%
San Angelo	NA	$33,700	$16.20	$42,300	$20.30	NA
San Antonio	200	$29,700	$14.30	$39,600	$19.00	-23.9%
Tyler	110	$29,900	$14.40	$33,600	$16.20	269.4%
Waco	40	$38,300	$18.40	$57,900	$27.80	21.3%

Utah
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Ogden	50	$29,900	$14.40	$34,600	$16.60	-13.5%
Provo	160	$42,200	$20.30	$64,900	$31.20	196.8%
Salt Lake City	650	$37,600	$18.10	$42,300	$20.30	241.9%

Vermont
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Burlington	90	$37,700	$18.10	$44,400	$21.30	162.6%

Virginia
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Richmond	180	$28,400	$13.70	$35,800	$17.20	-1%
Roanoke	80	$33,200	$16.00	$40,600	$19.50	64.2%
Virginia Beach	280	$39,800	$19.10	$50,900	$24.50	23.2%

Washington
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Bellingham	50	$40,800	$19.60	$52,500	$25.30	101.6%
Bremerton	80	$28,900	$13.90	$46,400	$22.30	234.8%
Olympia	90	$40,400	$19.40	$60,600	$29.10	192.3%
Seattle (Area)	550	$37,200	$17.90	$50,600	$24.40	23.5%
Spokane	120	$32,200	$15.50	$38,200	$18.40	90.6%
Yakima	50	$31,000	$14.90	$36,300	$17.50	116.5%

West Virginia
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Huntington	40	$30,900	$14.90	$37,700	$18.10	27.1%

Wisconsin
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Green Bay	160	$32,900	$15.80	$40,400	$19.40	218.4%
Madison	170	$34,300	$16.50	$46,300	$22.30	64.5%
Milwaukee	270	$31,800	$15.30	$42,500	$20.40	7.1%
Racine	NA	$28,200	$13.60	$38,000	$18.30	NA