Orthodontists
May 2005 employment and annual earnings distribution, wage and salary workers
Orthodontists: Examine, diagnose, and treat dental malocclusions and oral cavity anomalies. Design and fabricate appliances to realign teeth and jaws to produce and maintain normal function and to improve appearance.
Median annual earnings of salaried dentists were $129,920 in May 2004. Earnings vary according to number of years in practice, location, hours worked, and specialty.
Self-employed dentists in private practice tend to earn more than do salaried dentists, and a relatively large proportion of dentists is self-employed. Like other business owners, these dentists must provide their own health insurance, life insurance, and retirement benefits.
Dentists held about 150,000 jobs in 2004. Employment was distributed among general practitioners and specialists as follows:
| Dentists, general | 128,000 |
| Orthodontists | 10,000 |
| Oral and maxillofacial surgeons | 6,000 |
| Prosthodontists | 1,000 |
| Dentists, all other specialists | 5,000 |
About one third of dentists were self-employed and not incorporated. Almost all dentists work in private practice. According to ADA, 78 percent of dentists in private practice are sole proprietors, and 14 percent belong to a partnership. A few salaried dentists work in hospitals and offices of physicians.
(from the Occupational Outlook Handbook: Dentists)
See more recent statistics for employed workers below.
May 2005 employment and annual earnings distribution, wage and salary workers
National, State, and Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Earnings
State maximums: employment earnings: mean
Metro maximums: employment earnings: mean
| Orthodontists | |||||
| Percentile annual earnings, $ | |||||
| 10th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 90th | |
| National | |||||
| U.S. employment: 4,820 mean earnings: $163,410 | 73,300 | 117,500 | >$145K | >$145K | >$145K |
| State and Metro Area | |||||
| Alabama (ACS) (EAG) employment: n.a. mean earnings: $194,670 | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Montgomery, AL employment: n.a. mean earnings: $193,830 | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Alaska (ACS) (EAG) employment: n.a. mean earnings: $159,650 | 121,690 | 130,680 | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Arizona (ACS) (EAG) employment: 40 mean earnings: $183,200 | 120,400 | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Arkansas (ACS) (EAG) employment: n.a. mean earnings: n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| California (ACS) (EAG) employment: 240 mean earnings: $162,510 | 78,420 | 121,310 | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Los Angeles - Long Beach - Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division employment: n.a. mean earnings: $164,940 | 85,700 | 133,060 | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Colorado (ACS) (EAG) employment: n.a. mean earnings: $167,720 | 99,300 | 111,740 | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Connecticut (ACS) (EAG) employment: n.a. mean earnings: $190,300 | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Florida (ACS) (EAG) employment: n.a. mean earnings: $192,920 | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Pensacola - Ferry Pass - Brent, FL employment: n.a. mean earnings: n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| West Palm Beach - Boca Raton - Boynton Beach, FL Metropolitan Division employment: n.a. mean earnings: n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Georgia (ACS) (EAG) employment: n.a. mean earnings: $130,560 | 47,640 | 52,010 | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Atlanta - Sandy Springs - Marietta, GA employment: n.a. mean earnings: $193,540 | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Idaho (ACS) (EAG) employment: n.a. mean earnings: $149,450 | 51,570 | 66,980 | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Illinois (ACS) (EAG) employment: 230 mean earnings: $157,410 | 66,930 | 76,090 | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Indiana (ACS) (EAG) employment: 40 mean earnings: $159,800 | 101,520 | 114,790 | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Louisiana (ACS) (EAG) employment: 100 mean earnings: $176,230 | 90,460 | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Maryland (ACS) (EAG) employment: n.a. mean earnings: $177,500 | 101,600 | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Baltimore - Towson, MD employment: n.a. mean earnings: $170,480 | 98,110 | 115,170 | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Massachusetts (ACS) (EAG) employment: n.a. mean earnings: $191,250 | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Boston - Cambridge - Quincy, MA NECTA Division employment: n.a. mean earnings: $189,810 | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Minnesota (ACS) (EAG) employment: n.a. mean earnings: $184,100 | 122,430 | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Minneapolis - St. Paul - Bloomington, MN - WI employment: n.a. mean earnings: $186,270 | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Missouri (ACS) (EAG) employment: 130 mean earnings: $165,840 | 64,160 | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Kansas City, MO - KS employment: 30 mean earnings: n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| St. Louis, MO - IL employment: n.a. mean earnings: $176,170 | 71,060 | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Montana (ACS) (EAG) employment: n.a. mean earnings: $88,820 | 74,700 | 77,830 | 83,040 | 88,250 | 91,380 |
| Nebraska (ACS) (EAG) employment: n.a. mean earnings: $183,880 | 113,140 | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| New Jersey (ACS) (EAG) employment: n.a. mean earnings: $132,970 | 92,430 | 99,900 | 112,360 | >145K | >145K |
| Edison, NJ Metropolitan Division employment: n.a. mean earnings: $107,720 | 94,400 | 98,630 | 105,690 | 112,760 | 122,530 |
| Newark - Union, NJ - PA Metropolitan Division employment: n.a. mean earnings: $167,590 | 52,930 | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| New Mexico (ACS) (EAG) employment: n.a. mean earnings: $191,440 | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Albuquerque, NM employment: n.a. mean earnings: $187,210 | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| New York (ACS) (EAG) employment: 220 mean earnings: $157,150 | 64,670 | 112,760 | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| New York - White Plains - Wayne, NY - NJ Metropolitan Division employment: n.a. mean earnings: $149,630 | 52,080 | 80,820 | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| North Carolina (ACS) (EAG) employment: n.a. mean earnings: $134,990 | 95,080 | 101,200 | 111,390 | >145K | >145K |
| Charlotte - Gastonia - Concord, NC - SC employment: n.a. mean earnings: $163,980 | 66,950 | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Oklahoma (ACS) (EAG) employment: n.a. mean earnings: $174,630 | 104,430 | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Pennsylvania (ACS) (EAG) employment: 140 mean earnings: $168,190 | 78,920 | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| South Carolina (ACS) (EAG) employment: n.a. mean earnings: $134,780 | 63,150 | 68,360 | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Tennessee (ACS) (EAG) employment: n.a. mean earnings: $185,950 | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Texas (ACS) (EAG) employment: n.a. mean earnings: $184,140 | 137,230 | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Houston - Sugar Land - Baytown, TX employment: n.a. mean earnings: n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Virginia (ACS) (EAG) employment: 70 mean earnings: n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Virginia Beach - Norfolk - Newport News, VA - NC employment: n.a. mean earnings: n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Washington (ACS) (EAG) employment: n.a. mean earnings: n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| West Virginia (ACS) (EAG) employment: n.a. mean earnings: $190,070 | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Wisconsin (ACS) (EAG) employment: 120 mean earnings: $192,310 | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K |
| Wyoming (ACS) (EAG) employment: n.a. mean earnings: $189,620 | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K | >145K |
source: Occupational Employment Statistics Program; about these estimates
The highlighted text indicates the maximum values in each column among the states and metropolitan areas.
The (ACS) links lead to data from the American Community Survey from the Census Bureau.
The (EAG) links lead to U.S. Economy at a Glance data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.