Which Jobs Pay New Hires Best? Ortho & Prostho!

[TerpDentist]

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Thought this was interesting and wanted to share with everyone.

http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles-which_jobs_pay_new_hires_best-1158

Granted, this is just based on one source of info but the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' is a pretty valid source though this data is from their Occupational Employment survey from May of 2008 and the list itself is from a book titled "250 Best-Paying Jobs". The article focuses on jobs in which even beginners are paid well.

1. Orthodontists
Beginning Wage: $100,980
Median Earnings: $166,400+

2. Prosthodontists
Beginning Wage: $72,710
Median Earnings: $166,400+

Notice the big dropoff for beginning wages between 1 and 2...

 

[kokokaware3]

i don't think those numbers are real !!! because i am pretty sure and i know some GP dentists who make a million !!! so ortho and prosth can do alot more than 166 400 at least ortho !!

 

[NonTradHopeful]

i don't think those numbers are real !!! because i am pretty sure and i know some GP dentists who make a million !!! so ortho and prosth can do alot more than 166 400 at least ortho !!

I really hope you are being sarcastic...because if not, then your expectations are grossly unrealistic.

Plus, starting salaries do not matter as much as how much you will eventually make once you establish your own practice. From what I've heard/read, you should consider your first few years of associateship as "residency"...you learn to be faster, more efficient, and of better quality, but you can expect to make between 90k-120k. So starting salary doesn't really mean too much...the real money comes in owning your own practice.

That being said, you can expect the average established practice owner GP to make a little over 200k a year, according to the ADA Survey. According to that same survey, ortho's in practice make a little over 300k and prostho's make in the 200's.

But, as many have said before, choose a specialty that you enjoy...there is not much of a difference in lifestyle between 300k and 250k...once you go above 200k, you see diminishing marginal returns on lifestyle changes yielded from increased salaries. The lesson: choose a specialty you enjoy.

I hope this helped.

 

[Chrono]

I really hope you are being sarcastic...because if not, then your expectations are grossly unrealistic.

Plus, starting salaries do not matter as much as how much you will eventually make once you establish your own practice. From what I've heard/read, you should consider your first few years of associateship as "residency"...you learn to be faster, more efficient, and of better quality, but you can expect to make between 90k-120k. So starting salary doesn't really mean too much...the real money comes in owning your own practice.

That being said, you can expect the average established practice owner GP to make a little over 200k a year, according to the ADA Survey. According to that same survey, ortho's in practice make a little over 300k and prostho's make in the 200's.

But, as many have said before, choose a specialty that you enjoy...there is not much of a difference in lifestyle between 300k and 250k...once you go above 200k, you see diminishing marginal returns on lifestyle changes yielded from increased salaries. The lesson: choose a specialty you enjoy.

I hope this helped.

After speaking to many dentists, it is quite doable. It just requires a certain business strategy.

 

[baseballjunkie]

I really hope you are being sarcastic...because if not, then your expectations are grossly unrealistic.

Plus, starting salaries do not matter as much as how much you will eventually make once you establish your own practice. From what I've heard/read, you should consider your first few years of associateship as "residency"...you learn to be faster, more efficient, and of better quality, but you can expect to make between 90k-120k. So starting salary doesn't really mean too much...the real money comes in owning your own practice.

That being said, you can expect the average established practice owner GP to make a little over 200k a year, according to the ADA Survey. According to that same survey, ortho's in practice make a little over 300k and prostho's make in the 200's.

But, as many have said before, choose a specialty that you enjoy...there is not much of a difference in lifestyle between 300k and 250k...once you go above 200k, you see diminishing marginal returns on lifestyle changes yielded from increased salaries. The lesson: choose a specialty you enjoy.

I hope this helped.

That's because Obama will take it all...

 

[dentalWorks]

US average for a General practice dentist (new hire) was around $90,000 (forgot where I saw it).... so 166,000 for a new ortho sounds okay.

Although, most Ortho docs I know around here drive S and CL class BENZ's which are ranked at around 100k lol. Im pretty sure those docs are pushing above 300k income

But in all honesty, making money and dentistry should not be looked up based on national averages. Its all about how much your willing work vs if you want to manage your own practice or just work for others. If your one of those people who want to work only 30 hours per week and never have to own your bussiness, then your upper limits of income will bairly touch 150k your entire life..... If your one of those workaholics who like to push 50+ hours per week and has the devotion to owning and managing multiple practices, chances are your going to hit 500k to 7 figure incomes before your 45 years of age and sitting in a Lamborghini

 

[305602]

i don't think those numbers are real !!! because i am pretty sure and i know some GP dentists who make a million !!!

GP's definitely do not make this much annually. Maybe they were telling you the amount that they brought in during a single year but they surely do not net one million each year.

 

[TerpDentist]

But, as many have said before, choose a specialty that you enjoy...there is not much of a difference in lifestyle between 300k and 250k...once you go above 200k, you see diminishing marginal returns on lifestyle changes yielded from increased salaries. The lesson: choose a specialty you enjoy.

I hope this helped.

Great point in my opinion. From speaking to many dentists of various specialties, once the difference in income becomes fairly negligible, then there really is no price you can put on your personal enjoyment and fulfillment of your particular specialty.

 

[TerpDentist]

But in all honesty, making money and dentistry should not be looked up based on national averages. Its all about how much your willing work vs if you want to manage your own practice or just work for others. If your one of those people who want to work only 30 hours per week and never have to own your bussiness, then your upper limits of income will bairly touch 150k your entire life..... If your one of those workaholics who like to push 50+ hours per week and has the devotion to owning and managing multiple practices, chances are your going to hit 500k to 7 figure incomes before your 45 years of age and sitting in a Lamborghini

Another great point. As an example, I know an orthodontist who works 3 days a week and makes great money, loves her lifestyle and all the free time. At the same time, if she worked 5-6 days a week she could easily double her income, but that's just not something she's interested in at this point in her life.

 

[NonTradHopeful]

After speaking to many dentists, it is quite doable. It just requires a certain business strategy.

Anything is doable, but it's about how many actually get to that point. Here is what I think:

1. The dentist was telling you his revenue, which is very different from profit or net income.
2. ...if #1 is not the case, then he is one of the very few who makes that much. The national average of practice owners is around 200k...sure this means that a few will make a million, but it also means that a few will make 70k.

The point is, be realistic...your expectations should not be based on "what you've heard"...it should be based on the real data that's out there. If you're going to dental school thinking that you're definitely going to be making in the high six figures or seven figures, you might be in for a disappointment. It's not impossible, but it's not probable.

Either way, I think 200k is a great average for a GP.

That's because Obama will take it all...

LOL...

 

[NonTradHopeful]

Great point in my opinion. From speaking to many dentists of various specialties, once the difference in income becomes fairly negligible, then there really is no price you can put on your personal enjoyment and fulfillment of your particular specialty.

Thanks. To answer your original question, please look at the link below. It is the results 2004 ADA salary survey for specialists. Scroll down to post #9:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=128382

The salary figures have since increased a little bit.

 

[therock21]

I have a family member who is a GP dentist and I've talked to him about it quite a bit, he said his first year in a private practice he made about 180,000. Over the next couple years he got it up to about 300,000, working only 3 and a half days a week.

 

[Chrono]

I have a family member who is a GP dentist and I've talked to him about it quite a bit, he said his first year in a private practice he made about 180,000. Over the next couple years he got it up to about 300,000, working only 3 and a half days a week.

Simply awesome. What would the daily schedule look like for this individual? What procedures? How many patients? etc

 

[Vicviper]

Aren't these numbers for average salaried dentists? I didn't think they counted dentists who were just private business owners, as many, if not most dentists are, or work in a partnership.

 

[TerpDentist]

I have a family member who is a GP dentist and I've talked to him about it quite a bit, he said his first year in a private practice he made about 180,000. Over the next couple years he got it up to about 300,000, working only 3 and a half days a week.

Wow, very impressive in my opinion. What region or state/city of the US does he work in? The orthodontist I mentioned works in Fairfax, VA.

 

[NonTradHopeful]

Aren't these numbers for average salaried dentists? I didn't think they counted dentists who were just private business owners, as many, if not most dentists are, or work in a partnership.

Hey Vic, are you talking about the OP's numbers, or the numbers that I quoted. The OP's numbers are most likely from salaried positions (as those are the only ones that are reported to the bureau of labor statistics). The numbers that I quoted are from actual dentists in private practice.

BTW, how is your first year going? I've been following your posts for some time, and gained inspiration from them. Are you enjoying your first year experience? What challenges have you seen as a nontraditional?

 

[Vicviper]

Hey Vic, are you talking about the OP's numbers, or the numbers that I quoted. The OP's numbers are most likely from salaried positions (as those are the only ones that are reported to the bureau of labor statistics). The numbers that I quoted are from actual dentists in private practice.

BTW, how is your first year going? I've been following your posts for some time, and gained inspiration from them. Are you enjoying your first year experience? What challenges have you seen as a nontraditional?

Oh, I was talking about the OP's numbers. There's been a number of posts about the Department of Labor's numbers in the past, and I've thought that's always been one of the general agreements.

And first year, well, since Pitt front loads all of the basic sciences.... one word, Hellish. But that's just how it goes, and even though it's significantly harder than anything you've ever done academically before, you just know that it's what you want to do for the rest of your life, and that's really what gets you through it. Two years of hell, followed by two years of an 80k a year apprenticeship, and then all the time in the world to enjoy what you want to do.