Typical Salary Question

[argentrans37]

Hi everyone,

I am an undergrad working towards a degree in science, and am strongly considering dental school. I realize that salary should not be a large reason for choosing a profession, and for me it isn't. I simply find dentistry interesting.

BUT, I am curious as to a typical starting salary for a dentist who is NOT starting his/her own practice. I just want to know what I can expect to make after graduating from dental school and taking a job offer.

I only ask because I am trying to see if the 4 years of dental school combined with $250k+ in student loans is worth it.

Thanks.

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[bigstix808]

Hi everyone,

I am an undergrad working towards a degree in science, and am strongly considering dental school. I realize that salary should not be a large reason for choosing a profession, and for me it isn't. I simply find dentistry interesting.

BUT, I am curious as to a typical starting salary for a dentist who is NOT starting his/her own practice. I just want to know what I can expect to make after graduating from dental school and taking a job offer.

I only ask because I am trying to see if the 4 years of dental school combined with $250k+ in student loans is worth it.

Thanks.

before others get on here and "rip you a new one" ....

try searching simple questions like these via SDN, google, etc as this topic has been

 

[argentrans37]

before others get on here and "rip you a new one" ....

try searching simple questions like these via SDN, google, etc as this topic has been

Yeah, I have done all of that. The problem is, the sources are often uncited, and ALWAYS combine associates/partners/people starting their own practice (/taking over daddy's).

It is really hard to find salary data on specifically salaried employees. If anyone here has recently graduated dental school, or has a friend who has done so, I would really appreciate some info from them.

 

[bigstix808]

for a corporate job right out school prob looking in the 120-140 range. could find an associate job in the same range with incentives on production depending on where you live. basically, no one can give you any definitive numbers as everyone will always have their own anecdotal stories as "i have a friend/uncle/cousin/classmate that..."

if YOU find something, how about you let US know about it

 

[DrReo]

$375,000 typically.

 

[scottyhoop]

$375,000 typically.

that's it??? I better return my loupes!

Scott

 

[OceanDMD]

for a corporate job right out school prob looking in the 120-140 range. could find an associate job in the same range with incentives on production depending on where you live. basically, no one can give you any definitive numbers as everyone will always have their own anecdotal stories as "i have a friend/uncle/cousin/classmate that..."

if YOU find something, how about you let US know about it

Just out of curiosity, what year are you, and where did you get your info for this post?

 

[jay47]

Just out of curiosity, what year are you, and where did you get your info for this post?

Yeah... I would like to know as well.....$120,000 to $140,000 right out of school? This sounds quite high to me....

I think $80,000 to $110,000 sounds much more like it....

http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Dentist/Salary

Especially RIGHT out of school. Of course, 2,3,4 years afterwards would depend HIGHLY on WHERE you practice and what type of practice you run.

 

[bigstix808]

only a 1st yr. but talking with some of our seniors these are the numbers i have been quoted by them on the jobs they may be taking. i have also seen numbers ranging from 90-150k for job offers here on SDN over the past 2 yrs that i have actually been quoted. i'm by no means an expert on the matter, but felt i would give what i know, or more precise...what i have "heard"

i'm assuming by your response this is not quite the norm?

 

[Lily143]

.

 

[Cold Front]

It depends where a dentist practices... not all dentists live in the same zipcode.

North East (New England) is where the highest paid dentists in the country reside. More recent ADA newsletter said those guys with a private practice averaged $325k in 2007 (for GPs). This is after their Hawaii and Vegas trips, that S5 Audi, etc write-offs. Before you get mad at me, ask ADA.

 

[DrReo]

Cold front what range have you found in your associate positions for new grads? Only 170 left, woohoo!!!

 

[Cold Front]

Cold front what range have you found in your associate positions for new grads? Only 170 left, woohoo!!!

Apparently, even the ADA doesn't have the resources or the guts to predict such range. There are so many factors involved for new grads...

• Full Time vs Part Time
• Salary (daily minimum) vs Production
• Working in a saturated market vs Boonies vs REAL Boonies
• Working in a Private Practive vs Corporate vs Community Health Center
• Associating at 1 location vs Multiple Offices
• Experience - GPR/AEGD vs Straight out of School
• Procedures - Doing a lot of bread n' butter vs a lot of EXTs, endo, crowns

I have friends who had offers as low as $80k/yr in Orange County, CA. I know people who ended up deep in country style practices making $250k their 1st year out.

It's all relative. For almost everyone, you can't make a very good income and live in a great place.

 

[OceanDMD]

Apparently, even the ADA doesn't have the resources or the guts to predict such range. There are so many factors involved for new grads...

• Full Time vs Part Time
• Salary (daily minimum) vs Production
• Working in a saturated market vs Boonies vs REAL Boonies
• Working in a Private Practive vs Corporate vs Community Health Center
• Associating at 1 location vs Multiple Offices
• Experience - GPR/AEGD vs Straight out of School
• Procedures - Doing a lot of bread n' butter vs a lot of EXTs, endo, crowns

I have friends who had offers as low as $80k/yr in Orange County, CA. I know people who ended up deep in country style practices making $250k their 1st year out.

It's all relative. For almost everyone, you can't make a very good income and live in a great place.

Wow Cold Front. Nice post. I expected a "average first year out is 200k" from you.

 

[VCUDDS]

ok let me chime in a bit here, i'm not a recent graduatue ('05) but if i can give you how my experience went may be it would be more helpful than sepcualtions/too many variables.

I did a 2 yrs GPR after D-school (typically they are 1 yr, mind was 2 bec of the extra emphasis on implants and pros/perio)
I had to be near buffalo/niagara falls area (for family reason) so that right away limited my scope and what kind of practices and/or patients I would be exposed to.
3 offers, 2 from corporate dental practices (wont mention names but I guess they are the big players in the ny,pa area). both very similiar, 500/day min w/ 14% of total office production (dentist+hyg) so if you factor all that in the range given to me was anywhere from 120k-325k. Very aggressive SELLING (bold enough for you) tx plans to patients, basically your typical corporate dental mill.
1 offer from a multioffice dental practice owned by 1 dentist who was looking for someone to do almost everything (not just drill and fill, c &b), with 33% off of productions, the dentist I would be replacing made 140-168k, I would be working off of 3 offices, the downside....heavy in managed care.

I took the third option.....mainly bec it would allow me to practice what I was trained for at my GPR, the staff was great, very independent in terms of what could do, the big negative was toooooooooooo many managed care with very very pooor fee schedule (an example 1 crown fee is 450 where as our fee is 850)....after 1.5 yrs it was very frustrating as pt pool did not improve (quality or quantity) with the declining economy.....(buffalo and i'm very sorry to say this is a dead city). So, the bottome line is I made 120k for that year (barely i think my gross was 118k w/ change).

sorry for the long post ....the punch line here!!!...........dont go to buffalo!

 

[nextuszerodmd]

ok let me chime in a bit here, i'm not a recent graduatue ('05) but if i can give you how my experience went may be it would be more helpful than sepcualtions/too many variables.

I did a 2 yrs GPR after D-school (typically they are 1 yr, mind was 2 bec of the extra emphasis on implants and pros/perio)
I had to be near buffalo/niagara falls area (for family reason) so that right away limited my scope and what kind of practices and/or patients I would be exposed to.
3 offers, 2 from corporate dental practices (wont mention names but I guess they are the big players in the ny,pa area). both very similiar, 500/day min w/ 14% of total office production (dentist+hyg) so if you factor all that in the range given to me was anywhere from 120k-325k. Very aggressive SELLING (bold enough for you) tx plans to patients, basically your typical corporate dental mill.
1 offer from a multioffice dental practice owned by 1 dentist who was looking for someone to do almost everything (not just drill and fill, c &b), with 33% off of productions, the dentist I would be replacing made 140-168k, I would be working off of 3 offices, the downside....heavy in managed care.

I took the third option.....mainly bec it would allow me to practice what I was trained for at my GPR, the staff was great, very independent in terms of what could do, the big negative was toooooooooooo many managed care with very very pooor fee schedule (an example 1 crown fee is 450 where as our fee is 850)....after 1.5 yrs it was very frustrating as pt pool did not improve (quality or quantity) with the declining economy.....(buffalo and i'm very sorry to say this is a dead city). So, the bottome line is I made 120k for that year (barely i think my gross was 118k w/ change).

sorry for the long post ....the punch line here!!!...........dont go to buffalo!

how many days/hours a week?

 

[VCUDDS]

so my schedule was as follows:

monday 8-5
tuesday 8-6
wed 8-5
thursday 8-5
fri 8:30-3:30
occasionally sat 8-2
so about 40-45hrs/week.

 

[lotexigeus]

i've had offers from 120-140 right out of school in the arkansas/texas/oklahoma area for ocean's dental.

 

[nextuszerodmd]

i've had offers from 120-140 right out of school in the arkansas/texas/oklahoma area for ocean's dental.

5 days a week? 40 hrs?

 

[lotexigeus]

5 days a week? 40 hrs?

i assume so, i deleted the email a while ago. but there was also a 20k signup bonus for enid oklahoma (i think it was that city).

 

[Cold Front]

so my schedule was as follows:

monday 8-5
tuesday 8-6
wed 8-5
thursday 8-5
fri 8:30-3:30
occasionally sat 8-2
so about 40-45hrs/week.

New graduates usually work about 2,000 hrs/yr (or 41 hrs/week) in their first 10 yrs - that's the peak for a typical dentist. It declines from there steadily through retirement. Again, ADA numbers.