Orthodontists
Health ScienceO*NET 29-1023.00United States
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.
- Median annual earnings
- $279,868
- Projected change
- +5.5%
- Typical education
- Doctoral degree or more
- Employment
- 7.76K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
81% of the workforce
Growing to 8.19K by 2035
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ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What orthodontists do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Fit dental appliances in patients' mouths to alter the position and relationship of teeth and jaws or to realign teeth.
- Study diagnostic records, such as medical or dental histories, plaster models of the teeth, photos of a patient's face and teeth, and X-rays, to develop patient treatment plans.
- Diagnose teeth and jaw or other dental-facial abnormalities.
- Examine patients to assess abnormalities of jaw development, tooth position, and other dental-facial structures.
- Adjust dental appliances to produce and maintain normal function.
- Provide patients with proposed treatment plans and cost estimates.
- Prepare diagnostic and treatment records.
- Instruct dental officers and technical assistants in orthodontic procedures and techniques.
- Advise patients to comply with treatment plans.
- Coordinate orthodontic services with other dental and medical services.
- Design and fabricate appliances, such as space maintainers, retainers, and labial and lingual arch wires.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $94,563
- 25th percentile
- $143,081
- 50th percentile
- $279,868
- 75th percentile
- $362,564
- 90th percentile
- $451,942
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $279,868 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+5.5%average or slower
20257,763 jobs
2035 projected8,191 jobs
428 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Doctoral degree or more
- 81%
- Certificate
- 7.7%
- Master's or Professional degree
- 7.1%
- Bachelor's degree
- 2.7%
- High school diploma or less
- 1.5%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Operations Analysis
- Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Orthodontists1,161 postings
- 02Orthodontic Technicians325 postings
- 03Orthodontist Assistants22 postings
- 04Associate Doctors18 postings
- 05General Dentists16 postings
- 06Orthodontic Assistants10 postings
- 07Locums Tenens8 postings
- 08Orthodontic Treatment Coordinators7 postings
- 09Board Certified Behavior Analysts6 postings
- 10Psychotherapists6 postings
- 11Registered Dental Assistants5 postings
- 12Technical Stream Opportunity Managers5 postings
- 13Advanced Practice Providers4 postings
- 14Dental Treatment Coordinators4 postings
- 15Outpatient Therapists4 postings
- 16Private Practice Owners4 postings
- 17Associates3 postings
- 18Glaucoma Specialists3 postings
- 19Grant Reviewers3 postings
- 20Pre-Licensed Therapists3 postings
Top employers
- 01Smile Doctors311 postings
- 02Gentle Dental63 postings
- 03Sonrava Health41 postings
- 04Corus Orthodontists37 postings
- 05DOCS Health28 postings
- 06Knowbility Recruiting28 postings
- 07GPAC27 postings
- 08Icon27 postings
- 09Pds Health25 postings
- 10Sunnybrook Dentistry23 postings
- 11Deerwood Orthodontics18 postings
- 12Gentle Dental Careers18 postings
- 13Pippin Dental Care17 postings
- 14North American Dental Group16 postings
- 15Jackson Physician Search15 postings
- 16Heartland Dental14 postings
- 17Benevis12 postings
- 18Kids Dental Brands11 postings
- 19Mb2 Dental Solutions11 postings
- 20Provider Healthcare11 postings
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