How much does the average general dentist make?

[hs2013]

So I am trying to convince my parents that dentists make good money too and it is something I am actually interested in unlike being a doctor. The lifestyle is nice, the hours are great, and I would enjoy the comfortable and friendly environment interacting with people throughout the day. What do general dentists usually make out of dental school with no residency in maybe the Midwest area such as Wisconsin or Minnesota or even Illinois?

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[MrAvicii]

So I am trying to convince my parents that dentists make good money too and it is something I am actually interested in unlike being a doctor. The lifestyle is nice, the hours are great, and I would enjoy the comfortable and friendly environment interacting with people throughout the day. What do general dentists usually make out of dental school with no residency in maybe the Midwest area such as Wisconsin or Minnesota or even Illinois?

average salaries are all over the place; I think between 150K and 200K is a good and conservative estimate for all across the board. I dont know if all private practitioners report their true income in the surveys, so the real numbers could be higher, but it does depend on your workload and how you run your office. Dentists make very good money and equivalent to many MD specialities (not all but most). All in all, its a good field to go into (even if your doctor parents are bugging you about going to MD school )

 

[UCLAzy]

if i was your parent and you gave me an average salary i wouldnt be too impressed.

i dont want my kids to be average.

 

[tayloreve]

if i was your parent and you gave me an average salary i wouldnt be too impressed.

i dont want my kids to be average.

😀

that's right!

 

[tntme321]

If you are interested in doing a little of both medicine and dentistry you may want to look into NSU's combine degree program DMD/DO. Maybe that would satisfy you and your parents, just thinking.

 

[BobLoblawDDS]

I think there should be separation for the figures between Associates and folks who actually own and run their own practice or are a partner in one. I'm sure the average Associate salaries are closer to around 100-120K and the average salaries for those who own a practice are closer to 2-3 times that.

 

[MrAvicii]

I think there should be separation for the figures between Associates and folks who actually own and run their own practice or are a partner in one. I'm sure the average Associate salaries are closer to around 100-120K and the average salaries for those who own a practice are closer to 2-3 times that.

that seems kind of low for an associate. I would think an associate is 125k (minimum) I dont see starting salaries at 100K (unless you're in a really small city.) even then it seems really low.

 

[YoHomey]

You can always marry a dental or med student once you get to dental or med school. Since most schools have both dental and med students sharing same classes (i.e. anatomy), it makes it that much easier for inter-program dating. The combined income would be plenty for a household.

 

[DentalJedi]

that seems kind of low for an associate. I would think an associate is 125k (minimum) I dont see starting salaries at 100K (unless you're in a really small city.) even then it seems really low.

From what I've read most associates seem to start in the 90-120K range.

 

[Dusk]

You can always marry a dental or med student once you get to dental or med school. Since most schools have both dental and med students sharing same classes (i.e. anatomy), it makes it that much easier for inter-program dating. The combined income would be plenty for a household.

easier said than done?

 

[Jackson-Ave-Dental]

that seems kind of low for an associate. I would think an associate is 125k (minimum) I dont see starting salaries at 100K (unless you're in a really small city.) even then it seems really low.

Graduate right out of NYC and expect to earn around $500 per day.
Also expect to be working at multiple locations unless you're opting for the clinic/medicaid/medicare route. In which case, you can probably fill your schedule easily but be worked like a dog...

So I am trying to convince my parents that dentists make good money too and it is something I am actually interested in unlike being a doctor. The lifestyle is nice, the hours are great, and I would enjoy the comfortable and friendly environment interacting with people throughout the day. What do general dentists usually make out of dental school with no residency in maybe the Midwest area such as Wisconsin or Minnesota or even Illinois?

Expect to be working 5-6 days per week to make ends meet.

 

[HoustonDAT]

that seems kind of low for an associate. I would think an associate is 125k (minimum) I dont see starting salaries at 100K (unless you're in a really small city.) even then it seems really low.

Houston has openings for salaried dentists (no exp required obviously) for 80k. If you expect to net six figures your first year out of school , then you're in for a rude awakening.

 

[hs2013]

Graduate right out of NYC and expect to earn around $500 per day.
Also expect to be working at multiple locations unless you're opting for the clinic/medicaid/medicare route. In which case, you can probably fill your schedule easily but be worked like a dog...




Expect to be working 5-6 days per week to make ends meet.

Why 5-6 days a week?

 

[MrAvicii]

Houston has openings for salaried dentists (no exp required obviously) for 80k. If you expect to net six figures your first year out of school , then you're in for a rude awakening.

thats houston, not NYC! no offense why would you bury yourself in so much loans for 80K? that doesnt even make financial sense.

 

[YoHomey]

easier said than done?

I plan on marrying a model so it doesn't apply to me. I'll have to bring home the bacon by myself. She'll be the hot trophy lol.

 

[MrAvicii]

Graduate right out of NYC and expect to earn around $500 per day.
Also expect to be working at multiple locations unless you're opting for the clinic/medicaid/medicare route. In which case, you can probably fill your schedule easily but be worked like a dog...




Expect to be working 5-6 days per week to make ends meet.

right so 500 x 5 days x 52 weeks = $130K? or 500 x 6 x 52 = $156. why is that bad? thats right up there with what i said.

 

[BobLoblawDDS]

thats houston, not NYC! no offense why would you bury yourself in so much loans for 80K? that doesnt even make financial sense.

Because that's the bottom rung of the ladder. The average earning potential of a dentist is much, much higher. But everyone needs to start somewhere. You think you're going to have the funds, patient base and business sense to open a practice right out of school?

 

[hs2013]

Again why 5-6 days a week? Couldn't a dentist make 200,000 in a good practice working 4-5 days a week?

 

[UltimateHombre]

Again why 5-6 days a week? Couldn't a dentist make 200,000 in a good practice working 4-5 days a week?

These numbers are based on the 2009 ADA income survey. They are based on dentists that own part or whole of their practice.

Practice Net Income:

General Practice Dentists: $233,200
Periodontists: $279,540
Orthodontists: $290,200
Pediatric Dentists: $346,070
Endodontists: $366,340
OMFS: $516,260


Source: https://www.ada.org/sections/profess...fs/09_sdpi.pdf

The going word on the street is that associate dentists for the first few years make anywhere from 100-120K.

Also, you will need to work for 5-6 days a week for your first few years until you build up your speed, pay down your loans, and establish yourself as a dentist in the area. Even if you buy into a practice, you will loose a lot of patients and it will take time to rebuild.

 

[UltimateHombre]

If you are interested in doing a little of both medicine and dentistry you may want to look into NSU's combine degree program DMD/DO. Maybe that would satisfy you and your parents, just thinking.

Also, no offense, but i don't think this is very practical advice.... Either practice medicine or dentistry... Don't do both.

Not effective to be a DDS mon, wed and fri, then an MD tues and thur.

And according to the ADEA guide... private practice DDS have a larger average salary than family physicians, pediatricians and psychiatrists. IMO, unless you go into rads, optho, derm, anesth, or any surgury... you will make more as a DDS.

 

[Jackson-Ave-Dental]

right so 500 x 5 days x 52 weeks = $130K? or 500 x 6 x 52 = $156. why is that bad? thats right up there with what i said.

Because I've taken zero vacations for that year and I didn't get to play golf 3 days a week 🙁

 

[MrAvicii]

Because that's the bottom rung of the ladder. The average earning potential of a dentist is much, much higher. But everyone needs to start somewhere. You think you're going to have the funds, patient base and business sense to open a practice right out of school?

i am not from houston and i dont intend on practicing there, but in NY 80k for a dentist is underheard of, as it is in most metro areas. That's from an associate perspective. Plus I think the person writing that thread took one isolated position and made it seem like 80k is the average. i dunno if that makes sense to be an average starting salary or even the lowest one. Maybe its a position at some hospital, private practices wouldnt pay such a low annual salary.

 

[MrAvicii]

Again why 5-6 days a week? Couldn't a dentist make 200,000 in a good practice working 4-5 days a week?

not right off the beat and even later, i dont think you will make that much in 4 days. even a doctor doesnt make 200k in 4 days. cant be lazy in this sort of profession, if you want to earn a lot, you'll have to work a lot.

 

[yappy]

I dont wnat to spread unrealistic expectations but my GP dentist, who has shared with me his books, nets ~300k in his medium sized practice. he's been a dentist for 14 yrs. He told me that the peds in his building does a little better than he does. He works 4 solid days @ 8 hrs then a half day on friday.

not right off the beat and even later, i dont think you will make that much in 4 days. even a doctor doesnt make 200k in 4 days. cant be lazy in this sort of profession, if you want to earn a lot, you'll have to work a lot.

 

[MrAvicii]

I dont wnat to spread unrealistic expectations but my GP dentist, who has shared with me his books, nets ~300k in his medium sized practice. he's been a dentist for 14 yrs. He told me that the peds in his building does a little better than he does. He works 4 solid days @ 8 hrs then a half day on friday.

👍 hey more power to him! what state is this? i didnt want to say its impossible, but might not happen for a long time.

 

[SeattleRDH]

Salary ranges are region specific. 100K in rural Texas will go a lot further than it will in NYC. The best way to figure out salary is to research the average production-based compensation package, the average fees in a given area, and the number/type of procedures that would be expected in a month. Multiply that by 12 and voila!

I would hope that associates in NYC or San Fransisco make 150K+! Otherwise, how could you afford to live there!

 

[Choob]

You make as much as you can produce.

 

[SeattleRDH]

Also, if you're talking about an experienced private practice business owner then it all depends on how the practice is run. 300K+ is common.

 

[MrAvicii]

Salary ranges are region specific. 100K in rural Texas will go a lot further than it will in NYC. The best way to figure out salary is to research the average production-based compensation package, the average fees in a given area, and the number/type of procedures that would be expected in a month. Multiply that by 12 and voila!

I would hope that associates in NYC or San Fransisco make 150K+! Otherwise, how could you afford to live there!

you dont have to live in Manhattan, most people live in the surrounding boroughs such as Brooklyn or Queens, there are tons of private practices there with significantly cheaper rent (for living and for private practices.) but thats what i meant that it does vary by region.

 

[hs2013]

Also, no offense, but i don't think this is very practical advice.... Either practice medicine or dentistry... Don't do both.

Not effective to be a DDS mon, wed and fri, then an MD tues and thur.

And according to the ADEA guide... private practice DDS have a larger average salary than family physicians, pediatricians and psychiatrists. IMO, unless you go into rads, optho, derm, anesth, or any surgury... you will make more as a DDS.

Yea but for those specialties you have to go through a long residency and sometimes a fellowship on top of it. I wouldn't mind maybe starting of in the 125,000 to 150,000 range for a few years but by the time I am 30 I want to be making well over 200,000.

 

[Jackson-Ave-Dental]

You make as much as you can produce.

Probably have to produce twice as much as you'd like to take home.

Salary ranges are region specific. 100K in rural Texas will go a lot further than it will in NYC. The best way to figure out salary is to research the average production-based compensation package, the average fees in a given area, and the number/type of procedures that would be expected in a month. Multiply that by 12 and voila!

I would hope that associates in NYC or San Fransisco make 150K+! Otherwise, how could you afford to live there!

Haven't asked about the rent for where I work but... I know for a fact that a 300 sq ft studio across the street is $2000/month.

I dont wnat to spread unrealistic expectations but my GP dentist, who has shared with me his books, nets ~300k in his medium sized practice. he's been a dentist for 14 yrs. He told me that the peds in his building does a little better than he does. He works 4 solid days @ 8 hrs then a half day on friday.

Location?

 

[BobLoblawDDS]

Haven't asked about the rent for where I work but... I know for a fact that a 300 sq ft studio across the street is $2000/month.

That's in New York? Yeesh. I thought I had it bad. I paid $1200 for a ~450 sq. ft. studio here in downtown Toronto last year. This year, the same unit has gone up to $1400 unfortunately.

That said, I doubt the associates in downtown T.O. make that much either. There's more money in the suburbs.

 

[Jackson-Ave-Dental]

That's in New York? Yeesh. I thought I had it bad. I paid $1200 for a ~450 sq. ft. studio here in downtown Toronto last year. This year, the same unit has gone up to $1400 unfortunately.

That said, I doubt the associates in downtown T.O. make that much either. There's more money in the suburbs.

Yeaaaah. It's allllll about the suburbs 😀

 

[dentalWorks]

So I am trying to convince my parents that dentists make good money too and it is something I am actually interested in unlike being a doctor. The lifestyle is nice, the hours are great, and I would enjoy the comfortable and friendly environment interacting with people throughout the day. What do general dentists usually make out of dental school with no residency in maybe the Midwest area such as Wisconsin or Minnesota or even Illinois?

there is a big difference between career long average vs new graduate dentist.

Usually, averages between 150-220k are common with general dentist. But understand that this is no where near the average of a new graduate (especially with today's economic conditions). With today, I am willing to bet many new grads earn between 90-120k.

 

[Flosstooth]

You make as much as you can produce.

That pretty much sums it up.

Some guys can produce more than others.......you will start to notice that in DS.

 

[Flosstooth]

Also......keep in mind.....as you become an old fogey like me, practicing 27 years, it is much more difficult to quantitate exactly what you "make." With expenses, investments, divestments, rents, etc..........I REALLY don't know exactly what I "make".

Additionally, as a generalization, I would say that the young guys exaggerate and the old guys understate.

 

[In2Infinity]

Practice Net Income:

General Practice Dentists: $233,200
Periodontists: $279,540
Orthodontists: $290,200
Pediatric Dentists: $346,070
Endodontists: $366,340
OMFS: $516,260

Hmm this is so subjective on location, saturation etc. I shadowed a periodontist who told me straight up he made $400, 000 last year...Of course he could have made that up but why would he.

 

[MrAvicii]

moral of the story: you will make enough to live comfortably (no not with ferrari's in the drive way and cristal on ice) but enough to pay a normal mortgage, have a normal car, and pay the orthodontist for your kids braces 😀

 

[Jackson-Ave-Dental]

Hmm this is so subjective on location, saturation etc. I shadowed a periodontist who told me straight up he made $400, 000 last year...Of course he could have made that up but why would he.

Did he also mention that he had a foot long hot dog? 🙄

 

[YoHomey]

I used to work as a dental assistant for an office that employed nothing but associates (the owner of the practice owned a bunch of practices). Well, the top performer got a 40% cut of her production and generated $1 million last year for the practice. Thus she earned $400K as a general dentist. Not bad considering she earned twice as much as most dentists who own a practice and more than most specialists.

 

[JLum]

Most of the people here have no idea what they are talking about. So take it with a grain of salt. Go shadow a local dentist and let him brag on himself. You will learn much more. The sky is the limit in dentistry, namely general practice. A million dollar practice is getting fairly normal. Figure out how to operate at 55% overhead. Hopefully you can do the math...

 

[Jackson-Ave-Dental]

Most of the people here have no idea what they are talking about. So take it with a grain of salt. Go shadow a local dentist and let him brag on himself. You will learn much more. The sky is the limit in dentistry, namely general practice. A million dollar practice is getting fairly normal. Figure out how to operate at 55% overhead. Hopefully you can do the math...

"We have all this bone graft with no patients."

 

[peg lateral]

I graduated in May and interviewed for several jobs in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. I will tell you a little bit about my experience with the places I interviewed at:

Large group practice/corporate (4+ locations) -- 90% pedo, roughly all medicaid, 25% production starting out, hours 10-7, 5 days/wk, and you must work Saturdays every week which if I remember correctly was 8-2.

Small group practice/corporate (< 4 locations) -- mix of children and adults, medicaid, ppo, dmo, ffs, 5 days/wk with a couple Saturdays/month, guaranteed monthly salary with a % commission on top of that

Small group practice/corporate (< 4 locations) -- mix of children and adults, medicaid, ppo, dmo, ffs, 5 days/wk with one Saturday/month, guaranteed $650/day for the first 30 days then 25% production

Large corporate -- guaranteed $500/day for first 60 days, 25% production, 5 days/wk 8-5

Private practice -- guaranteed monthly draw $5000 for first 90 days then 30% collections, 4 days/wk, 8-5, 5-12

Private practice -- guaranteed monthly draw $4500 for first 90 days, then 25% production, 4 days/wk

 

[YoHomey]

I graduated in May and interviewed for several jobs in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. I will tell you a little bit about my experience with the places I interviewed at:

Large group practice/corporate (4+ locations) -- 90% pedo, roughly all medicaid, 25% production starting out, hours 10-7, 5 days/wk, and you must work Saturdays every week which if I remember correctly was 8-2.

Small group practice/corporate (< 4 locations) -- mix of children and adults, medicaid, ppo, dmo, ffs, 5 days/wk with a couple Saturdays/month, guaranteed monthly salary with a % commission on top of that

Small group practice/corporate (< 4 locations) -- mix of children and adults, medicaid, ppo, dmo, ffs, 5 days/wk with one Saturday/month, guaranteed $650/day for the first 30 days then 25% production

Large corporate -- guaranteed $500/day for first 60 days, 25% production, 5 days/wk 8-5

Private practice -- guaranteed monthly draw $5000 for first 90 days then 30% collections, 4 days/wk, 8-5, 5-12

Private practice -- guaranteed monthly draw $4500 for first 90 days, then 25% production, 4 days/wk

So many options. Which ones are good deals?

 

[In2Infinity]

Private practice -- guaranteed monthly draw $5000 for first 90 days then 30% collections, 4 days/wk, 8-5, 5-12

So after 90 days you make only 30% of what you bill out? or $5000 per month plus the 30%?

 

[SeattleRDH]

there is a big difference between career long average vs new graduate dentist.

Usually, averages between 150-220k are common with general dentist. But understand that this is no where near the average of a new graduate (especially with today's economic conditions). With today, I am willing to bet many new grads earn between 90-120k.

90K/year is what a hygienist working 40 hrs/week makes in Seattle. Associates are in the 150K range. It all depends where you practice.

 

[peg lateral]

So after 90 days you make only 30% of what you bill out? or $5000 per month plus the 30%?

Yep. Only 30% collections.

 

[peg lateral]

90K/year is what a hygienist working 40 hrs/week makes in Seattle. Associates are in the 150K range. It all depends where you practice.

Entirely true. Really from what I have heard, and my personal experience with interviews and what not, with the big metropolitan areas in Dallas it is hard to make 6 figures as an associate. Corporate dentistry is overtaking the DFW metroplex, which is very very sad to say the least. And if you go into a private practice as an associate, it is difficult to do well starting out until you get a patient base because a lot of dentists aren't going to let you see their patients for things. As someone mentioned earlier, the money is in partnerships or sole ownerships. Fortunately, for me, money isn't everything. It would be nice to be making a bit more right now to get a bigger chunk of my loans paid off, but it is what it is. I love what I do-- but there is a reason why a lot of people don't stay in associateships much longer than 2 years. The work you do, you only get 25% or 30% or 35% of what you do or collect.

On another note-- what does everyone think about large group practices/corporate dentistry? Monarch, Small Smiles, Kool Smiles, Pacific Dental, and similar places? We have tons of places like this popping up all over DFW.

 

[yappy]

RDH,

This sparked my interest. How much revenue do RDH's generate beyond their salary? I'm assuming the dentists are not losing money by having an RDH staff in a well managed practice.

Do you know of any dentist/RDH couples who work at the same practice? In effect, it seems like it would increase the earning potential of the couple as the RDH/couple would be benifiting from all the revenue created.

90K/year is what a hygienist working 40 hrs/week makes in Seattle. Associates are in the 150K range. It all depends where you practice.

 

[MrAvicii]

RDH,

This sparked my interest. How much revenue do RDH's generate beyond their salary? I'm assuming the dentists are not losing money by having an RDH staff in a well managed practice.

Do you know of any dentist/RDH couples who work at the same practice? In effect, it seems like it would increase the earning potential of the couple as the RDH/couple would be benifiting from all the revenue created.

dentists are making a crapload of money of an RDH lol in NYC RDH's is paid $50 an hour, but a dentist can get a lot more than that from the insurance company. If the RDH performs 2 cleanings in 1 hour, i'm sure the dentist is billing out at least $300 for that hour (pre-tax)