Dental Laboratory Technicians Salary
The median pay for a dental laboratory technicians in Lexington-Fayette, KY is $55,540/year ($26.7/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $33K at the entry level to $69K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.89), which stretches that salary to about $59,791 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,272/month, about 34.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $56K actually covers in Lexington-Fayette, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lexington-Fayette’s Regional Price Parity (92.89). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About dental laboratory technicians
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What this looks like in Lexington-Fayette
Lexington-Fayette sits well above the national pay line for dental laboratory technicians, local pay runs about 12% higher than the U.S. median of $50K. Rent runs $1,272/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for dental laboratory technicians in metros near Lexington-Fayette, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $50K | $54K |
| Huntington-Ashland | $48K | $54K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $51K | $50K |
| St. Louis | $47K | $50K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lexington-Fayette, KY
Entry-level dental laboratory technicians (10th percentile) start around $33K. Mid-career wages sit at $56K. Top earners bring in $69K or more, a $36K spread from bottom to top.
Dental Laboratory Technicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Dental Laboratory Technicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $73K | +47% | 440 |
| North Dakota | $68K | +36% | 60 |
| Maine | $64K | +29% | 120 |
| Colorado | $61K | +23% | 410 |
| New Hampshire | $61K | +22% | 120 |
| Florida | $60K | +21% | 2,330 |
| Nebraska | $59K | +18% | 190 |
| Kansas | $57K | +14% | 570 |
| Washington | $56K | +14% | 670 |
| Minnesota | $56K | +13% | 390 |
| New York | $52K | +6% | 1,890 |
| Virginia | $52K | +5% | 1,050 |
| Illinois | $51K | +4% | 2,030 |
| Arkansas | $50K | +1% | 840 |
| Indiana | $50K | +1% | 680 |
| North Carolina | $50K | +0% | 990 |
| Michigan | $50K | -0% | 1,180 |
| Georgia | $49K | -1% | 1,460 |
| Pennsylvania | $49K | -1% | 930 |
| Tennessee | $49K | -1% | 610 |
| Oregon | $49K | -2% | 570 |
| Oklahoma | $49K | -2% | 250 |
| Ohio | $48K | -2% | 1,160 |
| South Dakota | $48K | -2% | 120 |
| Nevada | $48K | -3% | 200 |
| Arizona | $48K | -3% | 950 |
| Maryland | $48K | -4% | 590 |
| Mississippi | $48K | -4% | 140 |
| West Virginia | $48K | -4% | N/A |
| Montana | $48K | -4% | 110 |
| Iowa | $48K | -4% | 380 |
| California | $47K | -4% | 4,480 |
| Idaho | $47K | -4% | 370 |
| New Jersey | $47K | -5% | 780 |
| Wisconsin | $47K | -5% | 800 |
| Utah | $47K | -5% | 1,300 |
| Missouri | $47K | -6% | 740 |
| Kentucky | $47K | -6% | 420 |
| Texas | $46K | -7% | 1,770 |
| Alabama | $46K | -8% | 1,050 |
| Rhode Island | $45K | -9% | N/A |
| Hawaii | $45K | -9% | 120 |
| New Mexico | $45K | -9% | 130 |
| Delaware | $39K | -22% | N/A |
| Louisiana | $38K | -22% | 330 |
| South Carolina | $37K | -25% | 260 |
Showing 1–10 of 46 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track dental laboratory technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Lexington-Fayette numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a dental laboratory technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lexington-Fayette?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $56K, rent takes 34.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,272/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for dental laboratory technicians in Lexington-Fayette?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new dental laboratory technicians typically earn — is $33K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,254/month. At HUD’s $1,272/month FMR, rent would take 56% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is dental laboratory technician a high-paying job in Lexington-Fayette?
Local pay is 12% above the national median — $56K here vs. $50K nationally.
How does Lexington-Fayette compare to the national average for dental laboratory technicians?
Lexington-Fayette pays $56K median vs. the U.S. average of $50K — that’s +12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $60K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do dental laboratory technicians make in Lexington-Fayette, KY?
The median is $55,540 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,750, and experienced dental laboratory technicians can clear $68,660. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $56K enough to live in Lexington-Fayette?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,704/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,272/month, which eats 34.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a dental laboratory technicians salary go in Lexington-Fayette?
Lexington-Fayette has a Regional Price Parity of 92.89 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median dental laboratory technicians salary is worth about $59,791 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do dental laboratory technicians get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.