Explore career options in dental technology and dental prosthetics
Here you can find information on the types of careers and employment roles a dental technology and dental prosthetics degree may land you.
You can also discover where to look for job vacancies, as well as professional associations, mentoring and international opportunities.
Opportunities
Dental technicians are highly skilled members of the dental team. They merge art and science into a rewarding career. Generally working behind the scenes in laboratories to construct bespoke dental devices such as dentures, crowns, bridges and orthodontic appliances to replace, restore and correct defects that may affect our facial appearance and the ability to use our teeth properly. With this qualification, you can apply your scientific knowledge, artistic skills and compassionate nature across three distinct areas - Prosthodontic, Conservative and Orthodontic.
Dental prosthetists are registered clinicians who work exclusively with denture patients, diagnosing and treating patients with missing teeth. They combine technical and clinical skills along with proficiency in communication and collaboration to work with dentists and specialists in an inter-professional environment. During your studies you will also learn from specialists in fields.
Career fields
- Public hospitals
- Self-employment
- Military
- Government health departments
- Private clinics
- Non-profit organisations
- International opportunities
- Public health programs
Employment roles
- Dental prosthetist
- Dental technician:
- Removable prosthetic technician
- Fixed conservative technician
- Orthodontic dental technician
- Dental ceramist
- Technical representative
Occupation snapshot
Employed
2,800
Future demand
Moderate
Weekly earnings
$1,030
Part-time share
33%
This data is based on the occupation profile for dental technicians, retrieved from the Government's Jobs and Skills Australia website and the Seek Explore Careers website, July 2024.
Your employability
In addition to knowledge and skills directly related to your program of study, you will also develop a range of other skills such as teamwork, analytical, communication through academic study, employment, voluntary work, sporting and recreational activities and life experience.
Recognising the value employers place on these skills is an important factor in your graduate job search. You can further develop your employability with these resources:
Vacancies
Information on relevant vacancies can be found in a wide range of sources:
- CareerHub
- Prosple (formerly Grad Australia)
- GradConnection
- Adzuna Dental Prosthetist jobs
- Australian Defence Force Recruiting
- Australian Public Service recruitment
- CareCareers
- Queensland Government Graduate Portal
- Queensland Government Jobs
- Seek
- New South Wales Government jobs
- Research Career Jobs (Australia & New Zealand)
- Bayside Group (formerly TechStaff)
- Job Outlook - Dental Technicians
- Dental Technician Salary Information
Job application resources
Craft a stand-out resume and cover letter, and learn how to prepare for job interviews.
Approach potential employers
Many work opportunities are not advertised, so we recommend approaching potential employers with the aim of researching their needs and how your skills, experience, interests and qualifications could match theirs.
This is called informational interviewing and will benefit you by:
- clarifying your specific career direction
- enhancing your professional network
- increasing your chances of being offered a job.
Industry outlook
The Your Career website includes helpful information such as job descriptions, employment prospects, average weekly earnings and skills requirements. Every job title in the database has a skills section to help you identify and describe essential skills for your future career.
The My Future website also has job descriptions and a useful career insight section.
The Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching website has up-to-date information on graduate salaries, especially the Graduate Outlook Survey (GOS) National Report, which contains undergraduate salary figures.
More detailed information is available at the Labour Market Insights portal.
Professional associations
Joining a professional association is a great way to interact with people in your field who can assist you to explore your career options and potentially find employment opportunities. These associations hold regular professional development and networking events:
Students are welcome to join and often receive a discount on their membership.
Mentoring
The award-winning Industry Mentoring Program provides an excellent opportunity to further develop your employability and build professional networks.
The program is available to students with more than 80CP as well as recent graduates.
Sustainable Development Goals
Griffith University is aligned to the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ) and is committed to promoting decent work and economic growth, advancing the principles of responsible and sustainable consumption and production, and advocating for peace, justice, and resilient institutional frameworks.
Further careers information
Careers counselling
Individual career counselling sessions are available to all current students and recent graduates.
You can book an initial appointment via CareerHub.
Career planning
Our website has an array of career planning resources you can explore at any stage of your student journey.
Career Readiness
Check out our Career Readiness site in Learning@Griffith for additional information and resources for your career development learning:
Similar career options
Please note: The content on this webpage is a guide only. Please refer to degree-specific information and accreditation requirements of your profession on the Degree and Course Finder website and with the relevant professional accreditation body for your degree.