According to the United States Department of Labor the median annual wages of salaried general dentists was $142,870 in May 2008
In 2002 the American Dental Association’s said, “General practitioners in the United States now earn an average of $173,140 yearly.” For a copy of the ADA report, see catalog #5102, at $75 for members, $112.50 for nonmembers or $225 for commercial firms (2568,[email protected]).
According to Forbes Magazine, the average dentist makes $122,883 a year.
Payscale.com listed a dentist annual income between: $92,727 – $152,641
Salary.com listed an average dentist’s annual income in the United States as $133,201
I think it is very safe to say that a dentists salary is almost always above the $100,000 range. Of course, I do frequently hear of dentists earning over $300,000. There are things which cause variation in a dentists salary. Here are some things that can change a dentists salary.
| Raise salary* | Lowers salary* |
|---|---|
| Owning your own practice Having business skills Working more hours Decrease fixed overhead Performing cosmetic dentistry Doing complicated dental procedures at a profitable speed Doing lots of smaller procedures very quickly Getting advanced education in dentistry Specializing (becoming a orthodontist etc…) Taking cash payments for patients Performing quality work Working efficiently Having a large patient body Hiring associate dentists or more hygienists |
Working for the military Working for a large dental chain Working fewer hours Over staffing your business |
*These are just generalizations and are not always true when applied to specific cases.
If a dentist wants more money, he/she can usually get more money by working harder or working smarter. But don’t make your decision to become a dentist purely on income.
Here are some reasons why you should be a dentist, and some reasons why you shouldn’t.
My name is Bella, I’m trying to become a dentist but have no idea where to start. My original plan was to graduate(I’m a senior in high school) and go to the local tech and become a dental hygienist so I can save up and establish some experience in a dental office, however I’m starting to think maybe I should just go to a four year college then dentist school right away and skip being a hygienist.. I am a b average student..any advice on to what to do? I live in Wisconsin.