How Much Do Orthodontists Make?

Folks looking at a career in a dental profession might set their sights on some of the more lucrative options. While dental hygienists and receptionists are important, they don’t draw the same kind of salaries as someone like an orthodontist. So, how much do orthodontists make?

Orthodontists in the United States earn an average of $256,491 per year.

Average Orthodontist Salary By State

Here’s how much orthodontists make when broken down by state:

• Alabama: $237,244/year
• Alaska: $311,188/year
• Arizona: $251,818/year
• Arkansas: $264,134/year
• California: $275,854/year
• Colorado: $280,202/year
• Connecticut: $265,890/year
• Delaware: $277,105/year
• Florida: $228,959/year
• Georgia: $242,925/year
• Hawaii: $330,386/year
• Idaho: $258,775/year
• Illinois: $262,708/year
• Indiana: $250,024/year
• Iowa: $240,185/year
• Kansas: $243,707/year
• Kentucky: $270,513/year
• Louisiana: $243,447/year
• Maine: $256,552/year
• Maryland: $296,217/year
• Massachusetts: $330,321/year
• Michigan: $262,692/year
• Minnesota: $251,025/year
• Mississippi: $228,289/year
• Missouri: $276,704/year
• Montana: $254,436/year
• Nebraska: $290,640/year
• Nevada: $308,730/year
• New Hampshire: $288,747/year
• New Jersey: $256,272/year
• New Mexico: $236,485/year
• New York: $298,869/year
• North Carolina: $238,652/year
• North Dakota: $313,011/year
• Ohio: $248,747/year
• Oklahoma: $270,126/year
• Oregon: $300,569/year
• Pennsylvania: $255,372/year
• Rhode Island: $318,946/year
• South Carolina: $280,059/year
• South Dakota: $303,871/year
• Tennessee: $250,559/year
• Texas: $250,242/year
• Utah: $245,898/year
• Vermont: $271,858/year
• Virginia: $286,828/year
• Washington: $306,157/year
• West Virginia: $259,768/year
• Wisconsin: $248,958/year
• Wyoming: $267,733/year

Just Starting Out in Your Orthodontist Career?

Orthodontists that are first starting out or in residency earn much less than the figures above.

The average starting salary for an orthodontist is between $75,000 and $150,000 depending on your state of practice and if you’re out of your residency or not.

The Orthodontist Job Market Moving Forward

The future looks bright for those that want to enter the field of orthodontics. As the demand for specialized dental care goes up, so will the number of jobs out there for orthodontists.

Employment for orthodontists is expected to grow by 8.5% over the next decade through 2028, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

With that many jobs being created, there are plenty of opportunities to get into the field for those that have the passion and drive to make it happen. Dental care as a field isn’t slowing down any time soon either, meaning that you have job security to look forward to, so long as the practice you work for stays afloat.