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The national median salary for Orthodontists is $289,141 per year ($139.01/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $146,578 and $342,306 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $416,000 per year. There are approximately 6,210 orthodontists employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+4.4%
Faster than average
Annual openings
200
per year, on avg
Workforce today
6K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
15% from new growth85% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Doctoral or professional degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Internship/residency
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 1 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Offices of Dentists
NAICS 621200
6K
$287,960
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$48.01
$99,861
P25
$70.47
$146,578
P50MEDIAN
$139.01
$289,141
P75
$164.57
$342,306
P90
$200.00
$416,000
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · health sector
Hot
Openings Rate
5.4%
Quits Rate
1.9%
Health Care & Social Assistance openings rebounded to 1.36M (+87K) in March with rate at 5.4%. Hires rose to 700K (+75K). The sector remains structurally tight; compensation pressure persists for clinical roles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average orthodontists salary?
The national median salary for Orthodontists is $289,141 per year ($139.01/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $146,578 and $342,306 annually.
How much do top-earning orthodontists make?
The 90th percentile salary for Orthodontists is $416,000 per year ($200.00/hr). The 75th percentile is $342,306 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for orthodontists?
Entry-level Orthodontists (10th percentile) earn approximately $99,861 per year ($48.01/hr). The 25th percentile is $146,578 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.