Dental Laboratories — Average Employee Salary
The average employee in the dental laboratories industry earns $55,663 per year ($26.76/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.
What Do Dental Laboratories Workers Earn?
At $55,663/year (equivalent to $26.76/hour for a full-time worker), dental laboratories wages are below the national average of ~$65,000.
Lower wages in this industry are common in service-oriented or retail-adjacent sectors where entry barriers are lower. This can be an advantage for business owners managing payroll costs, but may contribute to higher turnover.
The typical dental laboratories business employs 9 people. These are mid-sized operations where payroll is a significant but manageable expense.
Wages as a Percentage of Revenue
For the average dental laboratories business generating $2.0M/year with 9 employees at $55,663 each, total payroll represents roughly 25.2% of revenue. Labor costs are relatively low compared to revenue — other costs (materials, equipment, overhead) dominate.
What This Means for Business Owners
If you're starting or running a dental laboratoriesbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:
- Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $72,362/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
- Typical team size: 9 employees = ~$500,967/year in base payroll.
- Hourly equivalent: $26.76/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
- Revenue needed: With average revenue of $2.0M/business, you need strong utilization rates to maintain healthy margins after payroll.
See how these wages compare to total revenue and profit margins.
View full Dental Laboratories revenue benchmarks →Frequently Asked Questions
- How much do dental laboratories employees make?
- The average dental laboratories employee earns $55,663 per year, which is equivalent to $26.76/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is below the national average of approximately $65,000.
- How many people work in the dental laboratories industry?
- The dental laboratories industry employs 43,650 workers across 5,114 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 9 employees.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).