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Orthodontist: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 23, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$289,140median pay per year, or $139.01 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $99,850lowest 10% earn less
  2. $146,58025th percentile
  3. $289,140median
  4. $342,30075th percentile
  5. $416,000top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[4]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[2]

Orthodontists had a median pay of $289,140 a year in May 2025, well above the $50,980 median for all occupations[1][2]. The path takes a doctoral or professional degree and a residency, so it is a long one[3].

Job growth, 2025–35
+6%[5]
Openings per year
200[6]
Typical entry education
Doctoral or professional degree[3]

How much do orthodontists make?

The median wage for orthodontists was $289,140 a year, or $139.01 an hour[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. The mean (average) was $259,400 a year, or $124.71 an hour[7]. For comparison, the median for all occupations was $50,980[2].

The pay range is wide. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $99,850 a year, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $416,000[4]. BLS explains that a percentile wage is a boundary and that it does not publish a starting salary[8].

Measure Annual Hourly
10th percentile[4][9] $99,850 $48.01
25th percentile[4][9] $146,580 $70.47
Median[1] $289,140 $139.01
Mean[7] $259,400 $124.71
75th percentile[4][9] $342,300 $164.57
90th percentile[4][9] $416,000 $200.00

These figures cover workers paid a wage or salary. They leave out the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, bonuses that are not tied to production, and the cost of benefits[10]. About 12.6% of orthodontists were self-employed in 2025[11].

Pay by state and city

Among the 22 states with published data, Connecticut came first with a median of $478,680 a year, followed by Colorado at $416,000 and Maryland at $361,030[12]. At the other end, New York was $172,980 and Georgia was $159,230[12]. Some states report only that the median is $239,200 or more[12].

The most jobs were in Texas (1,070), Florida (450) and Washington (290)[13]. Among metro areas, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA had 210 jobs and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ had 100, with a median of $272,330[14].

Show median pay in 22 states
StateMedian per yearJobs
Connecticut[12]$478,680n/a
Colorado$416,000160
Maryland$361,030n/a
Michigan$357,090140
Illinois$343,100n/a
Tennessee$339,610n/a
Missouri$332,630n/a
Montana$312,840n/a
South Carolina$311,450n/a
Pennsylvania$311,180n/a
Maine$301,25060
Washington$290,430290
Arizona$272,330120
Alabama$253,670n/a
Indiana$239,200+n/a
Nebraska$239,200+n/a
Oklahoma$239,200+30
North Carolina$224,990160
Ohio$219,300250
Wisconsin$212,86090
New York$172,980130
Georgia$159,230n/a

How to become an orthodontist

BLS lists a doctoral or professional degree as the entry education, no work experience in a related occupation, and an internship or residency as the typical training[3]. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile used for training details is titled "Dentists" and covers a wider group that includes orthodontists[15]. The steps below come from that profile.

In an ONET survey of 24 workers, 69% said the job requires post-doctoral training and 12% said a doctoral degree[23]. ONET places the job in Job Zone Five, Extensive Preparation Needed[24].

What orthodontists do

Orthodontists diagnose and treat problems with how teeth and jaws line up, and they design appliances to correct them[25]. Tasks reported to O*NET include:

Where they work

This section describes dentists as a group, since the profile covers a wider group[15]. Offices of dentists were the largest employer, at 78%[27]. Some dentists own a business and work alone or with a small staff. Others have partners or work as associates in established practices[28]. They wear masks, gloves and safety glasses to guard against infection[29].

Schedules vary. Some dentists work evenings and weekends, and many work under 40 hours a week, while some work considerably more[30].

Job outlook

BLS projects that employment of orthodontists will grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, from about 7,100 to 7,500 jobs[5]. Employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% over the same years[31]. These counts include the self-employed[5]. The OEWS count of about 6,210 jobs covers only wage and salary work, so it is lower[32].

About 200 openings a year are projected, on average[6]. Openings include jobs left by people who retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs[6]. Each year, 2% of orthodontists are expected to leave the labor force and 0.4% to move to a different occupation[33].

Is it a good fit?

The pay is high compared with all occupations, and employment is projected to grow faster than average[1][2][5][31]. The cost is a long road, with a bachelor's degree, a dental degree and a residency of 2 to 4 years[16][19]. The field is small, with about 6,210 wage and salary jobs and about 200 openings a year[32][6]. Pay also varies a lot by state[12]. Anyone weighing it should check the full cost and time of training with schools, since our facts do not cover them.

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[34].

Frequently asked questions

How much does an orthodontist make an hour?
The median wage was $139.01 an hour in May 2025, and the mean was $124.71[1][7].
What degree do you need to be an orthodontist?
BLS lists a doctoral or professional degree[3]. The Dentists profile names a DDS or DMD degree and then specialty residency training[16][19].
Is orthodontist in demand?
Employment is projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% for all occupations, with about 200 openings a year[5][31][6].
What is the highest paying state for orthodontists?
Connecticut was listed first, with a median of $478,680 a year, then Colorado at $416,000[12].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Orthodontists in the US was $289,140 per year and $139.01 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Orthodontists: education needed for entry: Doctoral or professional degree; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Internship/residency. BLS Employment Projections
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Orthodontists: 10th percentile $99,850, 25th percentile $146,580, 75th percentile $342,300, 90th percentile $416,000. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Orthodontists is projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, from about 7,100 to 7,500 jobs (a change of +400). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections: about 200 openings for Orthodontists are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Orthodontists was $259,400 per year and $124.71 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Orthodontists: 10th percentile $48.01, 25th percentile $70.47, 75th percentile $164.57, 90th percentile $200.00. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS Employment Projections: 12.6% of Orthodontists were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  12. Median annual wage for Orthodontists in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Orthodontists jobs: Texas 1,070; Florida 450; Washington 290; Ohio 250; Colorado 160. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Orthodontists jobs: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 210; Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 100 (median $272,330). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile "Dentists" covers Orthodontists together with other related occupations, so its text describes the wider group. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  16. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  17. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  18. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  19. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  20. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  21. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  22. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  23. O*NET 29-1023.00 survey of workers (24 respondents), education level they say is required: Post-Doctoral Training 69%, Doctoral Degree 12%, Post-Secondary Certificate 8%, First Professional Degree 7% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  24. O*NET 29-1023.00: Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed. Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job. O*NET OnLine
  25. O*NET description of Orthodontists. O*NET OnLine
  26. O*NET task list for Orthodontists. O*NET OnLine
  27. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, largest employers of dentists in 2025: Offices of dentists 78%. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  28. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  29. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  30. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  31. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  32. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 6,210 people were employed as Orthodontists in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  33. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Orthodontists: 2% of workers leave the labor force each year and 0.4% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  34. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers. The Occupational Outlook Handbook text covers a wider group of occupations than this page.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.