Dental Technician Salary: No Published Median, but Plenty of Context
If you are researching a dental technician salary in Australia, you will quickly discover that the Australian Bureau of Statistics does not publish a median weekly earnings figure for this specific occupation. The ABS suppresses data for six-digit ANZSCO occupations when the sample is too small or the relative standard error is too high. That means there is no single official number to point to. However, we can still build a useful picture by looking at the broader occupation group, national averages, award rates, and state-by-state comparisons.
What the ABS and Jobs and Skills Australia Say
The Jobs and Skills Australia profile for Dental Technicians (ANZSCO 411213) explicitly states that median weekly earnings are not available. The profile does provide other useful details: 67% of dental technicians work full time, the median age is 41, and 40% of the workforce is female. The average full-time hours are 42 per week, slightly below the all-occupations average of 44 hours.
For pay, we turn to the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey (May 2025). Dental technicians are classified under the occupation group Technicians and Trades Workers. For full-time non-managerial adult employees in that group, the average weekly total cash earnings were $2,121.30. That translates to roughly $110,308 per year before tax. The median for the same group is not published at the six-digit level, but the broader group median would be lower than the average due to the skew from higher earners.
How That Compares to the National Average
The national full-time adult ordinary-time average, as measured by the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey for May 2026, is $2,083.70 per week, or about $108,352 per year. That is the figure this site uses as its reference line. The technicians and trades average of $2,121.30 sits just above that line. For context, the full-time median across all occupations is about $1,741 per week ($90,532 per year), and the all-employees median (including part-time) is about $1,425 per week ($74,100 per year).
So a dental technician earning the group average would be above the national full-time median and slightly above the national full-time average. But remember: the group average includes many other trades such as electricians, plumbers, and mechanics, which may have different pay structures. Dental technicians working in private laboratories or for dental prosthetists may earn differently.
State-by-State Differences
Where you work matters. The ABS Average Weekly Earnings for May 2026 show significant variation across states and territories. The national full-time average is $2,083.70, but state averages range from $1,846.30 in Tasmania to $2,290.20 in the Australian Capital Territory. Here are the full-time state averages (annualised):
- New South Wales: $2,109.20 per week ($109,658 per year)
- Victoria: $2,041.10 per week ($106,137 per year)
- Queensland: $2,039.70 per week ($106,064 per year)
- South Australia: $1,970.20 per week ($102,450 per year)
- Western Australia: $2,227.40 per week ($115,825 per year)
- Tasmania: $1,846.30 per week ($96,008 per year)
- Northern Territory: $1,984.10 per week ($103,173 per year)
- Australian Capital Territory: $2,290.20 per week ($119,090 per year)
A dental technician in Western Australia or the ACT could expect higher pay than one in Tasmania or South Australia, reflecting the general labour market. Place a salary on the line to see how your location compares.
Award Coverage and Minimum Wage
Dental technicians may be covered by the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 or a similar industrial instrument. From 1 July 2026, the national minimum wage is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week for a 38-hour week ($52,255 per year). Award minimums rose by 4.75% in the 2025–26 review. A dental technician on the award would likely earn above the minimum, depending on classification and experience. The award rates are set by Fair Work and vary by level. For a qualified dental technician, the rate is typically higher than the base minimum.
A Resident Take-Home Sketch
Using the technicians and trades average of $2,121.30 per week ($110,308 per year), we can estimate take-home pay for a resident Australian. The 2026–27 tax rates are:
- Nil on the first $18,200
- 15% on income from $18,201 to $45,000
- 30% on income from $45,001 to $135,000
- 37% on income from $135,001 to $190,000
- 45% on income above $190,000
Plus a 2% Medicare levy (before any reductions).
On $110,308, the tax would be approximately:
- $0 on first $18,200
- 15% on $26,800 = $4,020
- 30% on $65,308 = $19,592.40
- Total income tax: $23,612.40
- Medicare levy (2%): $2,206.16
- Total tax and levy: $25,818.56
- After-tax income: $84,489.44 per year, or about $1,624.80 per week.
This is a rough calculation. Actual take-home depends on deductions, tax offsets (such as the low-income tax offset), and whether the employee has private health insurance that reduces the Medicare levy surcharge. Guides on our site explain how to estimate your own figures.
Where to Find More Information
For the most current data, refer to the ABS Average Weekly Earnings release (May and November each year) and the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey (annual). The Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profile is also a good starting point for demographic and employment information. If you are covered by an award, check Fair Work for the latest pay rates.
States and territories page lets you compare pay across Australia. Job medians shows medians for occupations where the ABS publishes them. Industry medians provides a similar view by industry.
Summary
While a precise dental technician salary is not published by the ABS, the evidence suggests that full-time dental technicians earn around the average for Technicians and Trades Workers, which is slightly above the national full-time average. Location, experience, and the type of employer will cause variation. Use the resources on this site to benchmark your pay against the national line.