How much do orthodontists make?
Answer
Orthodontists in the US earned a median of $289,140 a year ($139.01 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $146,580 to $342,300.
- Median annual pay
- $289,140
- Mean $259,400
- Median hourly pay
- $139.01
- Mean $124.71
- Typical range (10th–90th)
- $99.8K–$416K
- $99,850 to $416,000
- US jobs
- 6,210
- +6.0% projected, 2025–35
BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology
How to become an orthodontist: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: Connecticut
Orthodontist pay range
Annual wages, May 2025
- 10th percentile$99,850
- 25th percentile$146,580
- Median$289,140
- 75th percentile$342,300
- 90th percentile$416,000
Half of all orthodontists earned more than $289,140 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $99,850; the top 10% made over $416,000. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $146,580 to $342,300.
These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $99,850 | $48.01 | $8,321 |
| 25th | $146,580 | $70.47 | $12,215 |
| Median (50th) | $289,140 | $139.01 | $24,095 |
| 75th | $342,300 | $164.57 | $28,525 |
| 90th | $416,000 | $200.00 | $34,667 |
| Mean (average) | $259,400 | $124.71 | $21,617 |
Orthodontist salary by state
Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024
Highest-paying states
- 1. Connecticut $478,680
- 2. Colorado $416,000
- 3. Maryland $361,030
- 4. Michigan $357,090
- 5. Illinois $343,100
Lowest-paying states
- 19. Georgia $159,230
- 18. New York $172,980
- 17. Wisconsin $212,860
- 16. Ohio $219,300
- 15. North Carolina $224,990
Best after cost of living: Connecticut. Its median of $478,680 is worth about $462,002 at national-average prices.
| Alabama | $253,670 | 14 | $285,590 | 12 | $121.96 | — | — |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Arizona | $272,330 | 13 | $270,499 | 14 | $130.93 | 120 | 0.04 |
| Arkansas | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| California | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Colorado | $416,000 | 2 | $403,680 | 2 | $200.00 | 160 | 0.05 |
| Connecticut | $478,680 | 1 | $462,002 | 1 | $230.13 | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Florida | — | — | — | — | — | 450 | 0.04 |
| Georgia | $159,230 | 19 | $165,360 | 18 | $76.55 | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — | — | — | 40 | 0.05 |
| Illinois | $343,100 | 5 | $343,244 | 7 | $164.95 | — | — |
| Indiana | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Maine | $301,250 | 11 | $310,407 | 11 | $144.83 | 60 | 0.10 |
| Maryland | $361,030 | 3 | $343,972 | 6 | $173.57 | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Michigan | $357,090 | 4 | $371,130 | 3 | $171.68 | 140 | 0.03 |
| Minnesota | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mississippi | — | — | — | — | — | 90 | 0.08 |
| Missouri | $332,630 | 7 | $366,264 | 5 | $159.92 | — | — |
| Montana | $312,840 | 8 | $330,540 | 9 | $150.40 | — | — |
| Nebraska | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| New York | $172,980 | 18 | $160,284 | 19 | $83.16 | 130 | 0.01 |
| North Carolina | $224,990 | 15 | $238,524 | 15 | $108.17 | 160 | 0.03 |
| North Dakota | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ohio | $219,300 | 16 | $236,381 | 16 | $105.43 | 250 | 0.04 |
| Oklahoma | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | 30 | 0.02 |
| Oregon | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pennsylvania | $311,180 | 10 | $318,923 | 10 | $149.61 | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| South Carolina | $311,450 | 9 | $332,217 | 8 | $149.73 | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tennessee | $339,610 | 6 | $369,664 | 4 | $163.28 | — | — |
| Texas | — | — | — | — | — | 1,070 | 0.08 |
| Utah | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Virginia | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Washington | $290,430 | 12 | $271,397 | 13 | $139.63 | 290 | 0.08 |
| West Virginia | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wisconsin | $212,860 | 17 | $226,218 | 17 | $102.34 | 90 | 0.03 |
| Wyoming | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure (29 states). State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.
Best-paying metro areas for orthodontists
14 metro areas with published pay
| Metro area | Median | Adjusted | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $239,200+ | — | — |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $239,200+ | — | — |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $239,200+ | — | — |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $239,200+ | — | — |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $361,650 | $375,397 | — |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $361,040 | $345,536 | — |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | $323,460 | $317,560 | — |
| Cleveland, OH | $318,070 | $338,650 | — |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $311,180 | $303,430 | — |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $281,850 | $250,393 | — |
| Metro area | Jobs | Median | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 210 | — | — |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 100 | $272,330 | $263,589 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).
What moves orthodontist pay: employers and settings
Whether an orthodontist owns a practice shapes pay more than anything else. Owners keep the practice's profit, while associates are paid a salary, a share of what they produce, or both. The BLS wage figures cover employed orthodontists only; self-employed owners, about 12.6% of the field, are not in them. Almost every orthodontist, 5,990 of 6,210, works in offices of dentists, where the median is $287,960. The 10th percentile is $99,850, far below the median; part-time schedules and owners who pay themselves partly in salary and partly in profit can pull reported wages down.
Location matters a great deal. Connecticut has the highest median at $478,680, and stays first after living costs ($462,002 adjusted). Colorado follows at $416,000, then Maryland at $361,030, Michigan at $357,090, and Illinois at $343,100. The lowest medians are in Wisconsin at $212,860, New York at $172,980, and Georgia at $159,230.
Volume also moves income: how many new cases a practice starts each month, the mix of children and adults, and whether the orthodontist runs one office or several.
| Industry | Share of jobs | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Offices of Dentists | 96.5% | $287,960 |
| Employer type | Jobs | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Private employers | 6,200 | $289,140 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).
What orthodontists do
An orthodontist is a dentist who has finished extra specialty training in straightening teeth and correcting how the jaws fit together. They diagnose crowded, crooked or widely spaced teeth, overbites, underbites and crossbites, and then plan and carry out treatment with braces, clear aligners, retainers, expanders and other appliances. Many patients are children and teenagers, because growing jaws can be guided, but adults are a large share of patients too.
Nearly all orthodontists work in dental offices, most in practices that do only orthodontics. A typical treatment starts with records: X-rays, photographs and digital scans of the teeth. The orthodontist then sets a plan, often lasting one to three years, and sees each patient every several weeks to adjust wires or check aligner progress. They lead a team of orthodontic assistants and front-desk staff and coordinate with general dentists and, for jaw surgery cases, oral and maxillofacial surgeons. About one in eight is self-employed, and practice owners also handle hiring, billing and marketing. Hours are mostly daytime, with some early-morning and after-school appointments.
A typical day
- Examine new patients and take X-rays, photos and 3D scans of their teeth and jaws
- Work out a treatment plan and explain its length and cost to patients and parents
- Place brackets and wires, or design a series of clear aligners
- See a steady schedule of short adjustment visits to tighten, bend or change wires
- Check how a child's jaw is growing and decide when to start treatment
- Remove braces and fit retainers to hold teeth in their new position
- Supervise orthodontic assistants and review the practice's scheduling and finances
Also called: board certified orthodontist, orthodontic dentist, orthodontic specialist, orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics specialist, orthodontics doctor.
How to become an orthodontist
Full guideTo become an orthodontist, earn a bachelor's degree, complete a 4-year DDS or DMD dental degree, pass the INBDE and a clinical licensure exam to get a state dental license, and finish a CODA-accredited orthodontic residency of at least 24 months. It usually takes 10 to 11 years after high school.
- Typical time
- 10-11 years after high school
- Fastest: About 10 years after high school
- Minimum education
- DDS or DMD from a CODA-accredited dental school, plus a certificate (often with a master's) from a CODA-accredited orthodontic residency
- License
- Required in all 50 states and DC (state dental license; some states also issue a specialty license or permit)
- Typical training cost
- $161K–$489K
- See the guide for what it includes
Read the step-by-step guide to becoming an orthodontist: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.
Is it worth it? Training cost against pay
Compare careers- Training time
- 10-11 years after high school
- Typical path in our guide
- Training cost
- $161K–$489K
- Tuition and exam fees, before aid
- Median pay
- $289,140
- $238,160 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
- Cost vs. one year's pay
- 56–169%
- Training cost as a share of a year at the median
Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($238,160 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in less than a year to 2.1 years after training ends (10-11 years after high school in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.
Job outlook for orthodontists
BLS Employment Projections 2025–35
- Projected growth
- +6.0%
- All occupations +3.5%
- Jobs in 2025
- 7,100
- 7,500 projected for 2035
- Openings each year
- 200
- New jobs plus replacements
- Self-employed
- 12.6%
- Not in the pay figures above
BLS projects orthodontist employment to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, from 7,100 to 7,500, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. Because the field is small, that adds up to only about 200 openings a year, most of them to replace orthodontists who retire or leave the occupation. BLS ties demand for dental care to an aging population, people keeping their natural teeth longer and the popularity of cosmetic dentistry. For new orthodontists, the harder step is usually winning a residency seat rather than finding work afterward.
Related careers and their pay
- Dentist$170,950
- Orthopedic Surgeon$358,550
- Dental Assistant$48,070
- Cardiologist$496,010
- Dermatologist$328,730
- Chiropractor$79,200
- Optometrist$136,570
- Neurologist$248,560
Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Orthodontist salary FAQ
How much do orthodontists make an hour?
The median hourly wage for orthodontists was $139.01 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $48.01 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $200.00. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.
Which state pays orthodontists the most?
Connecticut has the highest median pay for orthodontists, $478,680 a year, followed by Colorado ($416,000) and Maryland ($361,030). After adjusting for each state's price level, Connecticut comes out ahead at about $462,002 in national-average dollars.
Do orthodontists make $200,000 a year?
Most do: based on the BLS percentiles, between 50% and 75% of orthodontists earn more than $200,000 a year. The median is $289,140, and the top 10% earn more than $416,000. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.
What is the difference between an orthodontist and a dentist?
All orthodontists are dentists, but only a small share of dentists are orthodontists. After the same 4-year dental degree, an orthodontist completes an accredited orthodontic residency of at least 24 months that focuses on tooth movement, jaw growth and bite correction. General dentists handle cleanings, fillings, crowns and overall oral health; orthodontists focus on aligning teeth and jaws.
Is it hard to get into an orthodontic residency?
Yes. Orthodontics is one of the most competitive dental specialties. Accredited programs admit small classes, and successful applicants are usually near the top of their dental school class, with strong board results, research or clinical experience and good recommendations. Some dentists work for a year or two, or complete a general practice residency, before they are accepted.
Do orthodontists work long hours?
Usually not compared with many health careers. Orthodontists rarely handle emergencies, so most work a set daytime schedule. Appointments for school-age patients cluster in early mornings and late afternoons. Practice owners put in additional hours on staff, finances and marketing, and those starting out may work at several offices.
Sources
Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 29-1023
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
- O*NET 31.0 Database (29-1023.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
- Dentists, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
- Dental Admission Test (DAT) and DAT 2026 Candidate Guide, American Dental Association · checked October 28, 2026
- Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE) and 2026 Candidate Guide, Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations · checked October 28, 2026
- Costs of Attendance, DDS Program, University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine · checked October 28, 2026
- Accreditation Standards for Advanced Dental Education Programs in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Commission on Dental Accreditation · checked October 28, 2026
- ADEX Dental, CDCA-WREB-CITA · checked October 28, 2026
- Exam Dates, Fees, and Registration, American Board of Orthodontics · checked October 28, 2026
- License Finder, CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor) · checked October 28, 2026
- Become Certified, American Board of Orthodontics · checked October 28, 2026
Careers and Salaries is not affiliated with the Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Found an error? Tell us; corrections are listed on the editorial policy page.