If it feels like the lab you used ten years ago is gone, merged or suddenly much bigger, the numbers agree. We analyzed the US Bureau of Labor Statistics count of dental laboratories from 2014 to 2025. The industry that makes your crowns, bridges and dentures has lost more than a quarter of its labs in a decade, and the New York area has lost more than most.
This is our own analysis of public government data. Here is what changed, and what it means for the practice that sends the cases.
Key Takeaways
- The US had 6,764 private dental labs in 2014 and 4,944 in 2024, a 27% drop. The preliminary 2025 count is 4,818.
- Employment barely changed, so the average lab grew from 6.5 to 8.6 employees. Fewer labs, each one bigger.
- Every state that had at least 50 labs in 2014 had fewer in 2024. New York lost 32%; Brooklyn lost 39%.
- Average pay in dental labs rose 45% in dollars but only about 10% after inflation.
- BLS projects 6% fewer dental lab technician jobs from 2025 to 2035 and names 3D printing as a reason.
Quick Answer
How many dental labs are there in the US? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 4,944 private dental laboratories in 2024, employing about 42,400 people, with a preliminary count of 4,818 for 2025. That is 27% fewer labs than in 2014, while total employment stayed roughly flat, which means the industry is consolidating into fewer, larger labs.
Fewer Labs, Bigger Labs
From 2014 to 2024 the number of private dental labs fell every single year, from 6,764 to 4,944. Employment moved much less: 44,015 people in 2014, a peak of 46,028 in 2018, and 42,413 in 2024. The result is a steady rise in lab size, from 6.5 employees per lab to 8.6.
The data do not say why, but the likely drivers are familiar to anyone in the industry: owners retiring without successors, small labs merging into larger groups, and work moving offshore or into chairside milling and printing. BLS itself expects the trend to continue: it projects dental laboratory technician jobs to fall 6%, from 34,400 in 2025 to 32,300 in 2035, and says demand is expected to decline as 3D printing and other laborsaving technologies spread.
Every Large State Lost Labs
We compared all states that had at least 50 dental labs in 2014. Not one of them had more labs in 2024.
| State | Labs in 2014 | Labs in 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 59 | 32 | -46% |
| Illinois | 331 | 197 | -40% |
| Wisconsin | 121 | 72 | -40% |
| Pennsylvania | 192 | 120 | -38% |
| Massachusetts | 122 | 76 | -38% |
| New Jersey | 172 | 111 | -35% |
| Connecticut | 61 | 41 | -33% |
| New York | 443 | 302 | -32% |
| Florida | 606 | 460 | -24% |
| Texas | 370 | 281 | -24% |
| California | 891 | 712 | -20% |
| Virginia | 162 | 150 | -7% |
New York Up Close
New York City had 183 private dental labs in 2014 and 132 in 2024, a 28% drop. Brooklyn, historically one of the city's lab centers, went from 69 labs to 42 and its lab employment halved, from 221 to 110 people. Manhattan tells the consolidation story in miniature: it lost 6 of its 33 labs, but employment in the remaining labs rose from 192 to 290.
Pay: Up in Dollars, Barely Up in Real Terms
Average annual pay in private dental labs rose from $39,683 in 2014 to $57,656 in 2024. That is 45% more in dollars, but consumer prices rose about 32% over the same period, so the real increase was only about 10%. The separate BLS occupational survey puts the mean wage of a dental laboratory technician at $54,290 in May 2025, across 34,410 technicians nationwide.
For a skilled trade that takes years to master, that is a hard pitch to a young person choosing a career, and it is one reason experienced ceramists and denture technicians are harder to find than they were a decade ago.
What This Means for Your Practice
- Your lab may change without telling you. Mergers and closures move cases between locations and teams. Ask where your cases are made and who works on them, and read Where Was Your Crown Made?
- Bigger labs mean more capacity and more process. Ask how you reach the person working on your case, not only the customer service line.
- Skilled hand work is scarce. Plan esthetic anterior cases, layered porcelain and complex dentures early, and send complete records: photos, stump shade and bite.
- Local labs are fewer. If in-person shade matching or local pickup matters to you, choose a lab that still offers it.
How We Did the Analysis
We used the Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), industry code NAICS 339116 Dental Laboratories, private ownership, annual averages for 2014 through 2025, at the national, state and county level. 2025 figures are preliminary. Inflation uses the annual average CPI-U (236.7 in 2014, 313.7 in 2024). QCEW classifies each establishment by its main activity, so labs inside dental practices are counted as dental offices, not labs, and some small counties are suppressed for confidentiality. Technician wages and projections come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025) and the Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025 to 2035).
Elegant Dental Laboratory
We are one of the Brooklyn labs still making every case in house: a 7,000 sq. ft. facility at 2308 McDonald Ave with more than 35 technicians, founded in 2007. Meet our lab, send a case or call 877-335-5221.
FAQ
How many dental labs are there in the US?
4,944 private dental laboratories in 2024 according to BLS, with a preliminary 4,818 in 2025.
Is the number of dental labs declining?
Yes. It fell every year from 2014 to 2025, a total of about 29%, while employment stayed roughly flat, so labs are getting larger.
How many dental labs are in New York?
New York State had 302 private dental labs in 2024, down from 443 in 2014. New York City had 132, including 42 in Brooklyn.
How much do dental lab technicians make?
The BLS mean annual wage for dental laboratory technicians was $54,290 in May 2025.
Will there be fewer dental technicians in the future?
BLS projects dental laboratory technician employment to decline 6% from 2025 to 2035, citing 3D printing and other laborsaving technologies.
Sources
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, NAICS 339116 Dental Laboratories, private sector, annual averages 2014 to 2025. bls.gov/cew.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Dental Laboratory Technicians (51-9081). data.bls.gov
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook: Dental and Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians and Medical Appliance Technicians, projections 2025 to 2035. bls.gov/ooh
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), annual averages.
Analysis by Elegant Dental Laboratory, Brooklyn, New York. Reviewed by Gary Fingerman, founder and CEO. Last reviewed: September 26, 2026.
