Pay advice for Lab "Management"

[HygieneTech]

Hello!
I am a dental hygienist who works under a dentist who has opened a digital lab. Over the past year and a half I have gotten expereinced in making dentures, NGs, wax ups, etc. in exo cad and printing them on a 3D printer. So overrall I do the design, printing, and post processing of the appliances printed. In the future the plan is for me to have other offices in the area use us for labwork and I will have a team under me.

My question is what is a good pay i should ask for. Right now I'm balancing Hygiene and doing lab work for average hygiene pay. I was wondering if I should bring up getting Hygiene pay for whenever I am taking patients and maybe being commission based on each lab case? what would be a good commision rate to ask for. This is until we get busy enough with other offices in the area work.

Thank you!

 

[TheLabGuy]

100K

 

[Car 54]

I suppose you could also go down the street to the local lab who's trying to make a living, knock on their door and ask, " Hi, I'm a hygienist who runs an in-house lab and wants to get bigger..how much should I charge", and see what they have to say.

But, if you're looking to hire that lab tech, or a lab tech, to be a part of what you have going on, then yes, 100K sounds good.

 

[HygieneTech]

I suppose you could also go down the street to the local lab who's trying to make a living, knock on their door and ask, " Hi, I'm a hygienist who runs an in-house lab and wants to get bigger..how much should I charge", and see what they have to say.

But, if you're looking to hire that lab tech, or a lab tech, to be a part of what you have going on, then yes, 100K sounds good.

Not undermining what you are saying, but the lab resides in Tennessee. We are bottom of the leaderboard when it comes to pay, but are cost of living is also lower.
You still think 100k?

 

[Denture Dude]

Don’t do this. Stay in hygiene full time.

 

[HygieneTech]

Don’t do this. Stay in hygiene full time.

Why is that?

 

[Denture Dude]

Please ask all the questions you have. Don’t take this personally, but this is sad. Marginally decent lab work takes years to learn. I’m sure you guys will make this happen but I see it as a major degradation to dental care. Do you feel a lab tech could watch some YouTube vids and instantly be in a position to do productive hygiene work? Dang it! I said earlier I needed to get back to work!

 

[Denture Dude]

This kind of garbage is what makes me want out

 

[HygieneTech]

Relax, I have been trained well and we specialize in Kois protocols. But I do agree, labs are being thrown up everywhere and do terrible terrible work. That why my dentist opened our lab. He’s tired of getting back crap work

 

[HygieneTech]

This kind of garbage is what makes me want out

I can already tell... you probably should get out of the business

 

[CoolHandLuke]

you consistently find lab tech jobs in the classifieds here, for between minimum wage and 60k at most.

you probably already make 80+ in hygiene.

 

[CoolHandLuke]

https://dentallabnetwork.com/forums/threads/dental-technologists-wanted.34664/ here's one posted recently for 50k CAD, which is like 40k US?

thats how valued you are as a tech.

 

[Car 54]

Not undermining what you are saying, but the lab resides in Tennessee. We are bottom of the leaderboard when it comes to pay, but are cost of living is also lower.
You still think 100k?

I have no idea as far as Tennesse, but I'm just thinking in terms of the techs who have put in the hard years, who have gone to the continuing education, Kois, Dawson etc, of what they should be paid for that experience and knowledge. Especially for those who have both analog and digital experience, of knowing what goes where and why. Tennesse 60-70K?

 

[Denture Dude]

I can already tell... you probably should get out of the business

I promise you my work would smash anything you’ll ever be able to do.

 

[RileyS]

Is the pay good as a hygienist? I'd not bother with lab tech work

 

[JonnyLathe]

Move to the west coast and you can make $60+ an hour as a hygienist.

 

[JKraver]

@HygieneTech This is an underpaid field for the most part. You will make more money for less work doing hygiene and at the end of the day go home and enjoy your home life.

 

[Denture Dude]

I think we all know of a great lab in Tennessee that could meet your needs exceptionally. Not cheap though. Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out though.

 

[Car 54]

It sounds like the wheels are set in motion for @HygieneTech? IMO, I'd rather pursue something different like that than spend the next how many years picking at and cleaning people's teeth, even if it is more profitable. There are more creative things to do to keep daily life interesting. I'm just concerned about the labs that could be missing out on the work that is going to be kept in-house, especially if expansion and world domination are the objective..lol

 

[rkm rdt]

The key phrase here is pay scale .