SOC 29-1024.00Bright outlook

    Prosthodontists

    Diagnose, treat, rehabilitate, design, and fit prostheses that maintain oral function, health, and appearance for patients with clinical conditions associated with teeth, oral and maxillofacial tissues, or the jaw.

    Median pay
    $311,180
    Growth
    +5.8%
    Faster than average
    Openings a year
    Fewer than 50
    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
    $103,510
    Median
    $311,180
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $344,750
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    870 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Prosthodontists are dental specialists who design and fit oral prostheses to restore patients' teeth and jaw functions. This highly specialized healthcare field offers a median annual pay of $311,180.

    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 prosthodontists do

    Job Zone 5: Extensive preparation

    Diagnose, treat, rehabilitate, design, and fit prostheses that maintain oral function, health, and appearance for patients with clinical conditions associated with teeth, oral and maxillofacial tissues, or the jaw.

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

    What the work is like

    Prosthodontists focus on diagnosing, treating, and rehabilitating patients with clinical conditions affecting their teeth, jaw, and oral tissues. On a daily basis, these specialists gather patient information, solve complex problems, and make critical treatment decisions. They design and fit dental prostheses to help patients maintain their oral health, function, and physical appearance. This work requires a strong foundation in medicine, dentistry, biology, and customer service.

    People in this profession must be highly skilled in active listening, critical thinking, and social perceptiveness. They spend much of their time working directly with the public, which requires empathy, cooperation, and excellent communication skills. Strong attention to detail, dependability, and cautiousness are essential work styles, as prosthodontists must carefully monitor dental materials and processes. Because their primary interest area is realistic, they enjoy hands-on, practical work that produces tangible results for the people they treat.

    How to get there

    Entering this advanced dental field requires extensive preparation. Candidates typically need to earn a doctoral or professional degree, such as a Doctor of Dental Surgery. Relevant college majors that lead to this career include advanced or graduate dentistry and oral sciences, as well as specialized dental residency and fellowship programs.

    In addition to completing a graduate degree, some states list a license for this work. Professionals in this field may also pursue voluntary certifications to demonstrate their expertise. Examples of these credentials include becoming an Associate Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry or a Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry.

    Pay and outlook explained

    In 2025, the median annual pay for prosthodontists was $311,180. Earnings in this field can vary, with the lowest 10% of earners making less than $103,510, while the highest 10% earn more than $344,750.

    There were 870 people employed in this occupation. Between 2025 and 2035, employment is projected to grow by 5.8%, which is faster than the average for all occupations.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    86 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    76 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    13 / 100
    Social (S)
    60 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    7 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    37 / 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 RIS. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Assisting and Caring for Others
    92
    Documenting/Recording Information
    92
    Getting Information
    92
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    91
    Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    90
    Thinking Creatively
    89
    Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
    88
    Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    86
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    85
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    83
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

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

    Knowledge

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

    Abilities

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

    Work styles

    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Cautiousness
    • Integrity
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Empathy
    • Intellectual Curiosity
    • Cooperation
    • Self-Control
    • Perseverance

    Also called

    DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) · Dental Science Dr (Dental Science Doctor) · Denturist · Maxillofacial Prosthetics Dentist · Maxillofacial Prosthodontist · Oral Maxillofacial Prosthodontist · Prosthetic Dentist · Prosthodontist · Reconstructive Dentist · Removable Prosthodontist

    Career pathway

    From your interests to prosthodontists

    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

      • Prosthodontists$311,180 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 prosthodontists 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.

    • Implantology Fellowship Program
    • Prosthodontics Residency Program
    • Prosthodontics/Prosthodontology

    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.

    All careers

    Questions about prosthodontists

    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 other names are used for prosthodontists?

    These professionals are also referred to as reconstructive dentists, prosthetic dentists, denturists, and maxillofacial prosthodontists. Some may hold titles like Doctor of Dental Surgery or Dental Science Doctor.

    What are the key educational requirements for this career?

    Most individuals in this career need a doctoral or professional degree. Students typically pursue graduate dentistry programs, oral sciences, or dental residency and fellowship programs to prepare for the role.

    Is a license required to practice as a prosthodontist?

    Some states list a license for this work. Prospective prosthodontists should check the specific guidelines and regulations of the state where they plan to practice.

    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.