SOC 29-1023.00Bright outlook

    Orthodontists

    Examine, diagnose, and treat dental malocclusions and oral cavity anomalies.

    Median pay
    $289,140
    Growth
    +6.0%
    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
    $99,850
    Median
    $289,140
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $416,000
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    6,210 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Orthodontists diagnose and treat dental malocclusions and oral cavity anomalies to realign teeth and jaws. This career offers a median annual pay of $289,140, with opportunities for specialists to design corrective appliances and improve patient appearance.

    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 orthodontists do

    Job Zone 5: Extensive preparation

    Examine, diagnose, and treat dental malocclusions and oral cavity anomalies. Design and fabricate appliances to realign teeth and jaws to produce and maintain normal function and to improve appearance.

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

    What the work is like

    Orthodontists focus on correcting misaligned teeth and jaws to improve both oral function and facial appearance. On a daily basis, these specialists examine patients, diagnose structural issues, and design custom dental appliances like braces and retainers. This profession heavily involves investigative work, requiring strong skills in complex problem solving, critical thinking, and active listening to understand patient needs.

    Practitioners must apply deep knowledge of medicine, dentistry, and biology while utilizing computers and electronics to plan treatments. Success in this role relies on key work styles such as extreme attention to detail, dependability, cautiousness, and integrity. Because they work directly with the public, orthodontists must excel at establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationships, communicating clearly, and building cohesive clinical teams. They also spend time updating their professional knowledge, documenting patient records, and monitoring treatment progress to ensure safe and effective outcomes.

    How to get there

    Entering this specialized field requires extensive academic preparation. Candidates typically need to earn a doctoral or professional degree, which is classified as O*NET Job Zone 5 preparation. Students generally pursue college majors in advanced or graduate dentistry and oral sciences, or participate in dental residency and fellowship programs.

    In addition to completing a doctoral program, individuals can pursue professional credentials such as the Board Certified Endodontist certification from the American Association of Endodontists. Prospective orthodontists should also note that some states list a specific license to practice this type of dental work. This career is closely related to other dental and surgical specialties, including general dentists, prosthodontists, and oral and maxillofacial surgeons.

    Pay and outlook explained

    In 2025, the median annual pay for orthodontists was $289,140. Earnings in this field span a wide range, with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $99,850 and the highest 10 percent earning more than $416,000.

    There are 6,210 people employed in this profession. Between 2025 and 2035, employment is projected to grow by 6 percent, 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)
    77 / 100
    Investigative (I) · strongest
    79 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    10 / 100
    Social (S)
    50 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    8 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    60 / 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 IRC. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    84
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    83
    Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    83
    Developing and Building Teams
    80
    Documenting/Recording Information
    78
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    78
    Getting Information
    76
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    75
    Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
    75
    Coaching and Developing Others
    71
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

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

    Knowledge

    • Medicine and Dentistry
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • English Language
    • Biology
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Mathematics
    • Administration and Management
    • Education and Training
    • Physics
    • Engineering and Technology

    Abilities

    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Finger Dexterity
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Near Vision
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Oral Expression
    • Written Comprehension
    • Written Expression

    Work styles

    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Cautiousness
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Integrity
    • Intellectual Curiosity
    • Social Orientation
    • Perseverance
    • Cooperation
    • Self-Confidence

    Also called

    Board Certified Orthodontist · Dental Treatment Coordinator · Dentofacial Orthopedics Dentist · Doctor · Invisible Braces Orthodontist · Orthodontic Dentist · Orthodontic Specialist · Orthodontic Treatment Coordinator · Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics Specialist · Orthodontics Doctor

    Career pathway

    From your interests to orthodontists

    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

      • Orthodontists$289,140 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 orthodontists 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.

    • Orthodontics Residency Program
    • Orthodontics/Orthodontology

    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 6, 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 orthodontists

    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 is the typical education required to become an orthodontist?

    To enter this career, individuals typically need to complete a doctoral or professional degree. This path generally involves majoring in advanced or graduate dentistry and oral sciences, or completing dental residency and fellowship programs.

    How much do orthodontists earn?

    The median annual pay for orthodontists was $289,140 in 2025. The lowest 10 percent of earners in this field made less than $99,850, while the highest 10 percent earned more than $416,000.

    What is the job outlook for this profession?

    Employment for orthodontists is projected to grow by 6 percent from 2025 to 2035, which is faster than the average rate. This growth will generate about 200 job openings each year, building on the current workforce of 6,210 employed individuals.

    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 6, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.