🇺🇸 United States · Dentist
From $170,910 / yr by industry
Mean salary — $170,910 / yr.
$170,910 / yr
💰 Pay spread — by industry / specialty
The mean is the headline; the spread is what matters.
311,460 $
Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon
Highest-paid dental specialty
🟢 Tier 1 — BLS OEWS May 2024
233,700 $
Orthodontist
Braces / aligners
🟢 Tier 1 — BLS OEWS May 2024
220,000 $
Endodontist
Root canal specialist
🟢 Tier 1 — BLS OEWS May 2024
200,000 $
Prosthodontist
Dentures / implants
🟢 Tier 1 — BLS OEWS May 2024
🗺️ The path — stage by stage
- 1. Pre-dental Bachelor (4 yr) — Bio / chem prereqs + DAT
- 2. Dental school (DDS/DMD) (4 yr) — 2 yr preclinical + 2 yr clinical
- 3. Licensure exams (— yr) — INBDE + state clinical
- 4. Specialty residency (2~6 yr) — Optional — ortho / oral surg / endo
- 5. Practice / Academic (— yr) — Associate → owner OR hospital track
📝 Licensing exam
INBDE (national) + state exam
Integrated National Board Dental Examination + state-specific clinical exam.
🏛️ Top schools
| School | Location | Notable |
|---|---|---|
| Harvard School of Dental Medicine | Boston, MA | Oldest dental school in US |
| UCSF School of Dentistry | San Francisco, CA | Strong research |
| Penn Dental Medicine | Philadelphia, PA | Ivy + clinical depth |
| Michigan School of Dentistry | Ann Arbor, MI | Large patient pool |
| UCLA School of Dentistry | Los Angeles, CA | Public, top-ranked |
🟠 Tier 3 — context only
💵 Specialties — same title, different number
| Specialty / Industry | Mean / yr | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon | 311,460 $ | Highest-paid dental specialty |
| Orthodontist | 233,700 $ | Braces / aligners |
| Endodontist | 220,000 $ | Root canal specialist |
| Prosthodontist | 200,000 $ | Dentures / implants |
| General Dentist | 170,000 $ | Most common — primary care of teeth |
🏢 Employer types — base vs total comp
Private Practice (owner)
Higher upside, business risk
Group Practice / DSO
Stable salary, shared overhead
Hospital / Academic
Lower pay, research access
📈 Income across years
Dental school grad
0 $
0 yr
Associate (1~3 yr)
130,000 $
1~3 yr
Established Dentist
175,000 $
5~10 yr
Practice Owner
230,000 $
10+ yr
📚 Go deeper
Four sub-pages — gift, vision, path, history.