Dental Lab Technician Salary in Tennessee: What Dental Lab Technicians Earn in 2026
25th percentile
$40,470
Median (50th)
$48,880
75th percentile
$62,540
National median
$49,610
BLS OEWS (SOC 51-9081), May 2025
What does a dental lab technician make in Tennessee?
The median dental lab technician in Tennessee earns $48,880 a year ($23.50 an hour), which is $730 below the national median of $49,610, but less than in nearby Virginia ($51,900), Arkansas ($49,960) and North Carolina ($49,700).
The mean is $53,920.
That ranks 20th of the 46 states where BLS publishes a dental lab technician median.
Entry-level vs top earners in Tennessee
The middle half of Tennessee dental lab technicians earn $40,470 to $62,540.
The lowest-paid tenth earn under $36,520, $140 below the national 10th percentile.
The top tenth earn over $79,020, $2,080 above the national 90th percentile.
How far the pay goes in Tennessee
The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts Tennessee's 2024 price level at 91.9 (U.S. = 100): prices overall run 8.1% below the national average, and housing (index 79.1) runs 20.9% below.
Converted to national average prices, the $48,880 median is worth about $53,210 — $3,600 above the national median of $49,610.
How many dental lab technicians work in Tennessee
BLS counts about 610 dental lab technician jobs in Tennessee, 1.8% of the 34,410 nationwide, or 0.185 per 1,000 jobs in the state.
Dental lab technicians hold a 16% smaller share of local jobs than nationally (location quotient 0.84).
Dental Lab Technician Salary by City in Tennessee
Across the 4 Tennessee metro areas where BLS publishes a dental lab technician median, pay runs from $48,880 in Kingsport to $55,340 in Knoxville, a spread of $6,460.
All dental roles by metro: Kingsport · Knoxville · Memphis · Nashville
Who's hiring dental lab technicians in Tennessee now
DentistryHires has 2 open dental lab technician listings in Tennessee from 1 employer, one each in Shelbyville and Smyrna.
None of them posts a pay figure.
Dental Lab Technician Regulatory Context in Tennessee
Dental lab technician practice in Tennessee is regulated by the Tennessee Board of Dentistry.
Scope of practice — what a dental lab technician may do, and under what level of supervision — is set by state law and changes over time, so verify current rules with the board before relying on them.
How Tennessee Compares
Virginia
$51,900
+5% vs. national
Virginia salary →
Arkansas
$49,960
+1% vs. national
Arkansas salary →
North Carolina
$49,700
+0% vs. national
North Carolina salary →
Georgia
$49,310
-1% vs. national
Georgia salary →
Mississippi
$47,770
-4% vs. national
Mississippi salary →
Missouri
$46,870
-6% vs. national
Missouri salary →
Kentucky
$46,770
-6% vs. national
Kentucky salary →
Alabama
$45,760
-8% vs. national
Alabama salary →
Other dental salaries in Tennessee
- Dentist salary in Tennessee: median $215,290, $166,410 above the dental lab technician median
- Dental Hygienist salary in Tennessee: median $84,640, $35,760 above the dental lab technician median
- Dental Assistant salary in Tennessee: median $46,720, $2,160 below the dental lab technician median
- Orthodontist salary in Tennessee: median $339,610
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state and national estimates, all industries); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Price-adjusted pay divides the median by the price level.
Listing counts and posted pay are live DentistryHires listings, refreshed hourly.
A dash means BLS did not publish that figure; nothing is estimated.