Salary information

[Dental Guy]

Hello fellow techs.

Just a quick thread to find out what an experienced crown and bridge technician should be earning?

I am looking at relocating and need to know what salaries I should be looking to earn. My experience, 20 years in the US Air Force, fully trained in multiple porcelain systems, implant systems, waxing, metal finishing, CAD/CAM (design, mill and finish).

Won awards in advanced crown & bridge, and advanced ceramics and won the USAF 'SNCO of the Year' award.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards,

Dental Guy

 

[desertfox384]

Hmm.. I guess if I were hiring you it would depend on what you could produce in a given amount of time, and the quality of the work in that time. Some labs are able to pay more than others.

 

[AJEL]

R U getting retirement after 20 yr? Y not stay the extra 5, there is no retirement in the civilian, The guys I have seen out of the military do nice work but then they didn't seem to understand the time rush. I'm a removable guy who wishes he had stayed in the Army the pay is quite a bit better, with vacations, meical, and such. Although I do use the VA for my medical it's cheaper than the civilian hospital.
Again I'm a removable lab, I had 6 fixed techs come in last mo looking for a job. I'm not sure if they were just trying to make their job attempts for the unemployment, but I get anywhere from 3- 12 calls per mo. This is a rough time, some C&B friends that used to be making $70.000+ didn't break $25,000 last year.

 

[Dental Guy]

Hello fellas,

Just a little more information, I retired from the USAF in Jan 07 and then went to work for Vita as a technical demonstrator, in October 2009 I opened my own laboratory up (in England) but am itching to get back to the States. Here in the UK there is something called the NHS, and this is killing the UK dental industry. For one, the dentists think everything a lab makes should be cheap (private or NHS) and they fight not to pay for anything. Trust me, I know production, I learned how to do the right things with quality in the Air Force, but I have certainly learned the production in my own laboratory. Here in the UK, there are great labs, more mediocre labs and a hell of a lot of absolute cheap labs. When the dentists expect to pay less than £35.00 a crown (they can get crowns from China for £25.00) and the influx of cheaper Eastern European labor, the price for dental laboratory restorations do not really pay the bills.

So there is a little about myself, but my original thread was, 'what's an experienced crown and bridge technician should be earning?' I know this is very subjective, based on experience, quality, production and location, but I am just trying to see a median figure of such. Looking on line, you get everything from $25,000 to some unrealistic $100,000, but to make an informed decision for my future, there is no better resource than lab owners and lab technicians currently in the field. From seeing all the threads and help that everybody seems to offer in these forums, I thought this would be a great place to ask.

Thank you for your replies.

Dental Guy

 

[user name]

Look up LMT magazine. I cant tell off hand which issue, but the annually break down all the numbers...but just in the USA. As an employee, its not a get rich position. The market decides, and all is a negotiation. Its what you can produce, and to be in the most beneficial situation, you need to know who you are. Quality/quantity. If you show up at my door and ask how much can you make, itll be a short conversation. Tell me how much youre going to make for me, we'll talk.

 

[odchamp]

DENTALGUY
ANY
ROOM
IN
YOUR
SUITCASE
(SPACEBARJUSTBUSTEDONBLOODYCOMPUTER)

 

[Dental Guy]

Hello User Name,

If I show up at your lab, I would have to know how much you are selling your restorations for and if your lab was 'Qaulity or Quantity' and in my opinion, labs don't tell other labs how much they sell their restorations for, so me to show up at your lab and tell 'you' how much I could make for you is a bit difficult to do.

The point of this thread is to find out (ballpark figure) to give me some idea on
what the going rates are. I did see the LMT, these figures come out in one issue a year, and are taken from just a handful of laboratories (those labs that actually fill in the questionaire or fill in the questionaire honestly).

Thank you for your responses.

Dental Guy

 

[user name]

Like I said- you need to know what YOU can do, and of coarse you need to know somthing about the lab youre going to apply at. You already answered the question..going rates are 25-100K...depending on what you can do and where youre doing it. You have to know yourself and your abilities, because thats what youre selling. If you show up somewhere and fill a slot, youre going to get the low end. If you have genuine skills, are honest respectful and people like having you around, you can earn alot doing anything.

 

[CatamountRob]

When I left the lab I worked for three years ago, I was getting 52k per yr. salary, full medical for my family, plus 15% of my gross in an IRA SEP account and 2 wks. vacation. I have no idea how that relates to the rest of the industry. When I left there I had been there for 26 yrs. That was three years ago, however, given economic conditions since that time, I don't think it would have changed much had I stayed.

 

[dentallab]

Too many variables to give you a amount. It depends where you live also. If you are in Idaho you are going to be making a lot less then lets say New York or Cali or some other big city.. Better yet if you got the experience and some money why not start your own dental lab?

----------------
dental lab
dental labs

 

[Mark Jackson]

As many other posters have remarked, there is a huge gap in what you know, what you can produce and what you can earn. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that since you worked for Vita, you are an above average technician (although I also worked there for four+ years, so there is an exception to every rule)

My guess is you are also an above average communicator. I predict, here in Southern California, you could probably land a manager job, starting in the $60k range and up, with benefits, etc...

 

[BusinessCoach]

I agree with Mark. The average price paid by a high end laboratory to a ceramic technician is about $45-$55 per unit. On the other hand, the average price paid by a production laboratory to a ceramic technician is about $22-$30 per unit. So, how much you can make is based ultimately who you choose to work for (high-end or production) and how many units you can produce in an 8 hours day. Hope that helps.

 

[subrisi]

I live in Washington state and my last job paid me $108.000. I got all benefits and Health insurance was paid in full for me and my son by my employer. But for this salary I had to sell my soul to the devil. It was a nightmare and it did not end well. Money is not everything. I think just before out largest local Dental insurance cut down their allowed amounts to the dentists by 15%, Salaries were quite nice here. This had changed in an instance. and the whole dental field is in disarray right now.

 

[ALPHA]

Hello fellow techs.

Just a quick thread to find out what an experienced crown and bridge technician should be earning?

I am looking at relocating and need to know what salaries I should be looking to earn. My experience, 20 years in the US Air Force, fully trained in multiple porcelain systems, implant systems, waxing, metal finishing, CAD/CAM (design, mill and finish).

Won awards in advanced crown & bridge, and advanced ceramics and won the USAF 'SNCO of the Year' award.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards,

Dental Guy

My 2cent is look toward going to Glidewell or Sirona..

 

[CoolHandLuke]

i'm a shmoe at my dental lab. i make 28k a year. i get 1000$ per year dental coverage. i pay life insurance out of my own pocket.

and somehow the lab isnt making enough money to pay everyone this month.

 

[TheLabGuy]

I'd start my own if I were you. Pick a great location and run with it, if you do it right you won't have to look back or second guess yourself. Be prepared though, civi life isn't a cake walk and you have to bust your rump.

 

[smile4me]

I pay my ceramist anywhere from $35.00 per unit to $50.00 per unit depending on their experience, credentials and work. So they can make as much as they want because I have plenty of work for them its never effing ending! The only employee's that get paid by hour are the model n metal techs. It's really tough for us I actually cried today in the parking lot of the lab because my husband works so hard 12- 16 hour days everything we collect from the Dr's goes to payroll, bills, equipment n supplies. I have put ads out for a $25 per unit ceramist and held a few working interviews but their work was no comparison to my ceramist I have now.

 

[paulg100]

sound to me like you need to charge more and work less.

If your ceramists work is at a high level then put your prices up!.

Sort the wheat from the chaf and work less hours.

 

[CoolHandLuke]

oddly enough in an age of atrificial items, people want to be paid in real money.

appreciation of my good work is great - but wallyworld doesnt take your appreciation as payment.

just thought i'd throw that out there.