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Dental Laboratory Technicians: apprenticeship hours and pay
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Approved apprenticeship titles
5 apprenticeship titles on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Dental Laboratory Technicians, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 2,000 hours, for FINISHER, DENTURE (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| CONTOUR WIRE SPECIALTY DENTURE | 0904 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| DENTAL CERAMIST | 0102 | Competency-Based: 4,000 hours Hybrid: 4,000 to 5,000 hours Time-Based: 4,000 hours |
| DENTAL LABORATORY TECHNICIAN | 0103 | Competency-Based: 6,000 hours Hybrid: 6,000 to 7,500 hours Time-Based: 6,000 hours |
| FINISHER, DENTURE | 0181 | Competency-Based: 2,000 hours Hybrid: 2,000 to 2,500 hours Time-Based: 2,000 hours |
| ORTHODONTIC TECHNICIAN | 0375 | Competency-Based: 4,000 hours Hybrid: 4,000 to 5,000 hours Time-Based: 4,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What dental laboratory technicians earn, by state
Massachusetts has the highest state median for dental laboratory technicians ($72,800) and Puerto Rico the lowest ($22,490), across the 47 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $72,800 | $35.00 | 440 |
| North Dakota | $67,580 | $32.49 | 60 |
| Maine | $64,020 | $30.78 | 120 |
| Colorado | $61,220 | $29.44 | 410 |
| New Hampshire | $60,610 | $29.14 | 120 |
| Florida | $59,790 | $28.74 | 2,330 |
| Nebraska | $58,590 | $28.17 | 190 |
| Kansas | $56,790 | $27.31 | 570 |
| Washington | $56,400 | $27.12 | 670 |
| Minnesota | $56,090 | $26.97 | 390 |
| New York | $52,460 | $25.22 | 1,890 |
| Virginia | $51,900 | $24.95 | 1,050 |
| Illinois | $51,380 | $24.70 | 2,030 |
| Arkansas | $49,960 | $24.02 | 840 |
| Indiana | $49,920 | $24.00 | 680 |
| North Carolina | $49,700 | $23.90 | 990 |
| Michigan | $49,570 | $23.83 | 1,180 |
| Georgia | $49,310 | $23.71 | 1,460 |
| Pennsylvania | $49,280 | $23.69 | 930 |
| Tennessee | $48,880 | $23.50 | 610 |
| Oregon | $48,800 | $23.46 | 570 |
| Oklahoma | $48,670 | $23.40 | 250 |
| Ohio | $48,480 | $23.31 | 1,160 |
| South Dakota | $48,370 | $23.25 | 120 |
| Nevada | $48,190 | $23.17 | 200 |
| Arizona | $47,930 | $23.04 | 950 |
| Maryland | $47,850 | $23.00 | 590 |
| Mississippi | $47,770 | $22.97 | 140 |
| West Virginia | $47,740 | $22.95 | Not published |
| Montana | $47,560 | $22.87 | 110 |
| Iowa | $47,520 | $22.85 | 380 |
| California | $47,410 | $22.80 | 4,480 |
| Idaho | $47,380 | $22.78 | 370 |
| New Jersey | $47,270 | $22.73 | 780 |
| Wisconsin | $47,170 | $22.68 | 800 |
| Utah | $47,110 | $22.65 | 1,300 |
| Missouri | $46,870 | $22.53 | 740 |
| Kentucky | $46,770 | $22.48 | 420 |
| Texas | $46,330 | $22.28 | 1,770 |
| Alabama | $45,760 | $22.00 | 1,050 |
| Rhode Island | $45,320 | $21.79 | Not published |
| Hawaii | $45,300 | $21.78 | 120 |
| New Mexico | $45,300 | $21.78 | 130 |
| Delaware | $38,500 | $18.51 | Not published |
| Louisiana | $38,490 | $18.50 | 330 |
| South Carolina | $37,170 | $17.87 | 260 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,490 | $10.81 | 100 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).