Dentists often enjoy reputations that are slightly above other medical professionals. They are seen as being more intelligent, trustworthy, and even reliable. This is not surprising, given the complexity of the job. Dentistry is one of only three specialist fields that require a minimum of five years of post-graduate training after an undergraduate degree. It is also one of the few professions that involve directly diagnosing patients and their ailments on a regular basis without assistance from other specialists. Even so, many dentists have struggled for decades to overcome the stigma associated with their profession as well as its lower average wages compared to doctors. Do dentists really make more than others? If so, why?
What is the average dentist salary?
The average salary of a dentist in the United States is around $200,000 per year. That translates to $100,000 per year if it is an associate dentist and $300,000 per year if it is a general dentist. The average salary of a dentist varies by state. Dentists in California, New Jersey, and New York earn the highest annual salaries at about $244,000, $240,000, and $237,000, respectively.
Why do dentists earn more than other doctors?
The main reason for this is the difference in the amount of training required for each profession. Dentists spend at least five years in postgraduate studies, while most other medical professionals require less than two years of training. In addition, dentists are responsible for almost all aspects of their practice, while many other doctors rely on specialists to perform some aspects of their job. Finally, they have a higher degree of control over their patients than other medical professionals, especially those who work in hospital settings. Because of these factors, dentists have higher average salaries than other medical professionals.
Why don’t all dentists earn more than other doctors?
There are some specialties within the medical field that do not have higher salaries than the others. For example, anesthesiologists have the same salary as most other medical professionals, since they do not have to go through as much training as others and do not have as much control over the patient’s care. While orthodontists and paediatrics have similar salaries to other medical professionals, this may be because orthodontists spend only two years in postgraduate studies and paediatricians spend three years in postgraduate studies.
Reasons behind Dentist salary
One reason that most dentists do well is that they virtually always get paid unless they do charity work. Yes there is dental insurance but it doesn’t lower the pay to the dentist drastically.
One cannot just walk into the dental clinic needing a crown costing $850 and expect to get the treatment without pre-paying him (minus what the insurance is supposed to pay if you have it).
Conclusion
Although a lot of studies show that there is a general salary difference between dentists and other doctors. This does not necessarily hold true for all specialties within the field of dentistry. Therefore, if you are interested in becoming a dentist. It is important to choose a specialty that will allow you to earn a higher salary than other medical professionals.
