SOC 29-1022.00Bright outlook

    Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons

    Perform surgery and related procedures on the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial regions to treat diseases, injuries, or defects.

    Median pay
    $352,220
    Growth
    +5.6%
    Faster than average
    Openings a year
    200
    Typical education
    Doctoral or professional degree

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $86,250
    Median
    $352,220
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $622,640
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    4,910 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Oral and maxillofacial surgeons perform surgeries on the hard and soft tissues of the mouth, jaws, and face to treat injuries, diseases, or defects. This highly specialized healthcare career offers a median annual pay of $352,220.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What oral and maxillofacial surgeons do

    Job Zone 5: Extensive preparation

    Perform surgery and related procedures on the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial regions to treat diseases, injuries, or defects. May diagnose problems of the oral and maxillofacial regions. May perform surgery to improve function or appearance.

    Most need a graduate degree, such as a master's, PhD, MD or JD.

    What the work is like

    These surgeons diagnose and treat issues affecting the oral and maxillofacial regions, performing operations to improve both physical function and appearance. On a daily basis, their work centers on assisting and caring for patients, making critical medical decisions, and solving complex problems. They gather detailed patient information, document medical records, and provide expert consultations to other healthcare providers.

    Success in this field requires strong skills in critical thinking, active listening, and judgment. Surgeons must possess deep knowledge of medicine, dentistry, biology, and customer service. Because they perform delicate surgical procedures, they must exhibit work styles such as extreme attention to detail, cautiousness, and high stress tolerance. They also need strong self-control and dependability to manage the demands of an operating room. This career strongly appeals to individuals with investigative interests who enjoy solving scientific and medical challenges.

    How to get there

    Entering this career requires extensive academic and clinical preparation. Candidates typically need a doctoral or professional degree, such as a dental degree. Relevant college majors that lead to this profession include dental residency or fellowship programs, as well as advanced graduate dentistry and oral sciences.

    After completing their formal dental and surgical education, practitioners can pursue professional certifications to demonstrate their expertise. Available credentials include Board Certification in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery from the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, as well as becoming an Associate Fellow or a Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. Additionally, some states list a license for this specific work, which practitioners must obtain to practice legally in those jurisdictions.

    Pay and outlook explained

    The median annual pay for oral and maxillofacial surgeons is $352,220. Earnings can vary significantly based on experience, location, and practice setting; the lowest 10% of earners make less than $86,250, while the highest 10% earn more than $622,640.

    There are 4,910 people employed in this field. Between 2025 and 2035, employment is projected to grow by 5.6%, which is faster than the average for all occupations. This growth is expected to result in approximately 200 job openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    79 / 100
    Investigative (I) · strongest
    81 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    3 / 100
    Social (S)
    58 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    19 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    43 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code IRS. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Assisting and Caring for Others
    94
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    93
    Getting Information
    92
    Documenting/Recording Information
    90
    Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    89
    Providing Consultation and Advice to Others
    87
    Processing Information
    81
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    80
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    80
    Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    80
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Critical Thinking
    • Active Listening
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Monitoring
    • Speaking
    • Writing
    • Active Learning
    • Social Perceptiveness

    Knowledge

    • Medicine and Dentistry
    • Biology
    • Education and Training
    • English Language
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Administration and Management
    • Psychology
    • Personnel and Human Resources
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Administrative

    Abilities

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
    • Finger Dexterity
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Near Vision
    • Control Precision
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Information Ordering
    • Manual Dexterity
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Oral Expression

    Work styles

    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Cautiousness
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Self-Control
    • Intellectual Curiosity
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Self-Confidence
    • Perseverance
    • Integrity

    Also called

    DDS (Dental Surgery Doctor) · Dental Surgeon · Doctor · Maxillofacial Surgeon · Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Resident · Oral Surgeon · Surgeon

    Career pathway

    From your interests to oral and maxillofacial surgeons

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons$352,220 median pay

    3. Majors

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What oral and maxillofacial surgeons may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency Program
    • Oral/Maxillofacial Surgery

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    51 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

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    Questions about oral and maxillofacial surgeons

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some alternative job titles for this profession?

    Professionals in this field are also referred to as oral surgeons, dental surgeons, maxillofacial surgeons, or oral and maxillofacial surgery residents. They may also simply be addressed as a doctor or a DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery).

    What certifications can these surgeons earn?

    Surgeons can earn Board Certification in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery from the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. They can also earn credentials such as Associate Fellow or Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry.

    How fast is this career growing?

    Employment for this occupation is projected to grow by 5.6% from 2025 to 2035. This rate of growth is faster than the average across all careers, leading to an estimated 200 openings annually.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    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. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.