General & specialty practice
Dentist
High income, high debt, and you are also running a small business.
Typical pay
$150k-$260k
How you get in
DDS or DMD, 4 years after a bachelor's
Outlook
Steady; ownership and specialties drive the top end
Few openings
68/100Openings are uncommon relative to how many people do this work, and the field is growing.
JobPOVs index, calculated from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025-2035 for Dentists, general. It measures how many openings arise each year relative to the size of the field — not how many people apply. BLS does not publish a saturation figure.
Dentists diagnose and treat oral disease, usually while owning or buying into the practice. The clinical work is one job and the business is another, and dental school debt makes the second one non-optional.
A day in the life
7:45a – 5:30p · 9 hours 45 min
- 7:45aMorning huddle with the team, review the schedule
- 8:00aExams and hygiene checks
- 10:00aCrown prep, then a filling
- 12:00pLunch, and payroll or vendor calls
- 1:00pAfternoon procedures back to back
- 5:30pCase notes, treatment plans, practice management
How to get in
Dental school
Duration
8 years total
Cost
$250,000-$500,000
Credential
DDS or DMD plus state license
- Complete a bachelor's with the science prerequisites
- Take the DAT and apply — admission is competitive
- Complete four years of dental school with clinical training
- Pass written and clinical board exams, then get state licensed
Specialize with a residency
Duration
10-14 years total
Cost
$250,000-$600,000
Credential
DDS/DMD plus specialty certification
- Complete dental school
- Match into a residency — orthodontics, oral surgery, endodontics, periodontics
- Complete 2-6 additional years of training
- Substantially higher income, and substantially more debt and time
Associate then ownership
Duration
3-7 years after licensure
Cost
$300,000-$1,500,000 to buy or build a practice
Credential
License plus financing
- Work as an associate dentist to build speed and clinical judgment
- Learn the business side — overhead, insurance contracts, staffing
- Buy an existing practice or start one from scratch
- Ownership is where dentist income separates from dentist salary
What people love
- · High income and strong autonomy
- · Practice ownership builds a sellable asset
- · Predictable weekday schedule
- · Immediate, visible results for patients
What wears people down
- · $300k-$500k of dental school debt is common
- · Neck, back and hand strain shorten careers
- · You are a business owner whether you wanted that or not
- · Many patients arrive anxious or in pain