An orthodontist working in the US earns $228,780 per year – the highest orthodontist salary in all English-speaking countries we revised. Those working in Canada take home about C$101,000 (US$77,779) per year, the UK pays its orthodontists with about £87,500 (US$113,128), Australia with AU$150,000 (US$114,082), and New Zealand with NZ$135,000 (US$98,293). The lowest salaries for orthodontists are registered in India and South Africa, where professionals earn Rs600,000 (US$9,268) and R510,000 (US$38,471), respectively.
How Much Does an Orthodontist Make Per Year?
| US | Canada | UK | Australia | New Zealand | India | South Africa | |
| Hourly Wage | $109.99 | C$48.56 (US37.39) |
£42.07 (US$54.39) |
AU$72.12 (US$54.85) |
NZ$64.90 (US$47.26) |
Rs288.46 (US$4.46) |
R245.19 (US$18.50) |
| Annual Wage | $228,780 | C$101,000 (US$77,779) |
£87,500 (US$113,128) |
AU$150,000 (US$114,082) |
NZ$135,000 (US$98,293) |
Rs600,000 (US$9,268) |
R510,000 (US$38,471) |
Factors that Influence the Orthodontist Salary
The most relevant factors to influence the average salary of an orthodontist are the location, the industry of each occupation, and the level of experience they have. These factors can generate a difference in the pay grade of more than $100,000.
Geographic Area
Orthodontist Salary in the US
An orthodontist working in the US takes home about $228,780 per year on average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Payscale, however, reports the national average for this profession at $167,000. The starting orthodontist salary is $79,508 and the experienced salary can reach $295,772 per year. Payscale also reports that bonuses can add up to $36,212 and profit sharing – another $17,500 to the yearly salary.
Below, you can find a series of tables documenting the states and metropolitan areas which offer the highest levels of employment for the occupation, as well as the highest orthodontist salaries.
Highest Levels of Employment for Orthodontists in the US
The states offering the highest levels of employment for orthodontists are as follows:
| State | Employment | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| California | 710 | 0.05 | 1.17 | $93.39 | $194,250 |
| Florida | 360 | 0.05 | 1.15 | $111.94 | $232,830 |
| Massachusetts | 350 | 0.10 | 2.62 | $108.47 | $225,620 |
| Ohio | 270 | 0.05 | 1.33 | $106.72 | $221,970 |
| New Jersey | 270 | 0.07 | 1.77 | $112.11 | $233,180 |
The metropolitan areas with the highest levels of employment for orthodontists are as follows:
| Metropolitan area | Employment | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| Los Angeles – Long Beach – Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 300 | 0.07 | 1.89 | $78.08 | $162,410 |
| Boston – Cambridge – Newton, MA NECTA Division | 180 | 0.10 | 2.55 | $119.30 | $248,150 |
| New York – Jersey City – White Plains, NYC – NJ Metropolitan Division | 150 | 0.02 | 0.58 | $111.89 | $232,730 |
| Birmingham – Hoover, AL | 100 | 0.21 | 5.24 | $84.69 | $176,160 |
| Phoenix – Mesa – Scottsdale, AZ | 70 | 0.04 | 1.00 | Higher than $90 | Higher than $187,200 |
| Fort Wayne, IN | 40 | 0.19 | 4.74 | $54.05 | $112,420 |
Highest Salaries for Orthodontists in the US
Meanwhile, the states offering the highest orthodontist salaries are the following:
| State | Employment | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| Tennessee | 70 | 0.02 | 0.61 | Higher than $90 | Higher than $187,200 |
| Connecticut | Not released | Not released | Not released | Higher than $90 | Higher than $187,200 |
| Colorado | Not released | Not released | Not released | $135.32 | $281,470 |
| Minnesota | Not released | Not released | Not released | $131.09 | $272,660 |
| Mississippi | 50 | 0.04 | 1.10 | $130.77 | $272,010 |
Last, but not least, the metropolitan areas with the highest orthodontist salaries are as follows:
| Metropolitan area | Employment | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| Memphis, TN – MS – AR | Not released | Not released | Not released | Higher than $90 | Higher than $187,200 |
| Atlanta – Sandy Springs – Roswell, GA | Not released | Not released | Not released | $123.90 | $257,710 |
| Boston – Cambridge – Newton, MA NECTA Division | 180 | 0.10 | 2.55 | $119.30 | $248,150 |
| Silver Spring – Frederick – Rockville, MD Metropolitan Division | Not released | Not released | Not released | $119.30 | $248,140 |
| Camden, NJ Metropolitan Division | Not released | Not released | Not released | $117.40 | $244,200 |
| New York – Jersey City – White Plains, NY – NJ Metropolitan Division | 150 | 0.02 | 0.58 | $111.89 | $232,730 |
| Tulsa, OK | Not released | Not released | Not released | $111.55 | $232,010 |
| Harrisburg – Carlisle, PA | Not released | Not released | Not released | $109.45 | $227,660 |
| Orlando – Kissimmee – Sanford, FL | Not released | Not released | Not released | $103.21 | $214,670 |
| Cincinnati, OH – KY – IN | Not released | Not released | Not released | $98.66 | $205,220 |
Orthodontist Salary in Canada
An orthodontist working in Canada earns C$101,000 (US$77,779) per year, according to PayScale. The orthodontist starting salary in this country is C$50,684, or US$39,049. A professional will reach the mean salary in 5 to 10 years and the experienced salary of C$188,254 (US$145,068) per year about 5 years after that. Bonuses can add about C$1,750 (US$1,348) to the yearly salary.
Orthodontist Salary in the UK
The average salary of an orthodontist in the United Kingdom is set at £87,500 (US$113,128) per year. Beginners in this field can earn as little as £30,663, or US$39,645 per year, while experienced professionals can earn up to £234,780, (US$303,555) per year. Bonuses can account for £4,250 (US$5,495) of that amount.
Orthodontist Salary in Australia
An orthodontist working in Australia will earn AU$150,000 (US$114,082) per year on average. Beginners start off at about AU$58,723 (US$44,664) per year, while those with more than 10-15 years of experience behind can reach AU$297,858 (US$226,550) per year. Some can add up to AU$17,500 (US$13,312) to their yearly salary from bonuses.
Orthodontist Salary in New Zealand
Although no info is available on the orthodontist salary in New Zealand, we can take the dentist salary as a reference. A dentist working in New Zealand starts off somewhere between NZ$65,000 (US$47,310) and NZ$120,000 (US$87,339). Experienced professionals can earn between NZ$150,000 (US$109,179) and NZ$212,000 (US$154,306) per year, which makes the average around NZ$135,000 (US$98,293).
Orthodontist Salary in India
Payscale lists the national average salary for orthodontists at Rs600,000, or US$9,268 per year. The starting orthodontist salary in this country is Rs232,699 (US$3,593), while experienced professionals take home up to Rs4,327,764 (US$66,846). Mid-career professionals can earn salaries up to 379% higher than the national average.
Orthodontist Salary in South Africa
Payscale reports the average salary of an orthodontist at around ZAR510,000, or US$38,562 per year. Just as we’d expect, this is significantly higher than the average dentist salary in South Africa (ZAR421,850, or US$30,872). Most orthodontists in South Africa have 4 years in this field, which means that, in time, the average salary will slowly increase with their experience.
Experience
The orthodontist salary is one of the highest in healthcare; however, the profession requires a doctorate in dental medicine, a residency lasting one or two years, a board certification, and a state license in the US, but all countries have similar requirements from their orthodontists. Most salaries in the medical industry increase with experience up to the 20-year mark and steadily decline after that.
If you are interested in other jobs in this field that require less and cheaper training, you can check out our guide to the dental assistant salary.
Industry
Just like with the physical location of the place of employment, each industry can affect the orthodontist salary by quite a significant amount. Here are the industries offering the highest levels of employment for the profession and those offering the highest salary range in the US.
The industries offering the highest levels of employment for orthodontists are the following:
| Industry | Employment | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| Offices of Dentists | 5,000 | 0.56 | $108.21 | $225,080 |
| General Surgical and Medical Hospitals | 90 | 0.00 | $50.80 | $105,660 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | 70 | 0.01 | $100.65 | $209,350 |
Meanwhile, the industries with the highest recorded orthodontist yearly salary are as follows:
| Industry | Employment | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| Offices of Dentists | 5,000 | 0.56 | $108.21 | $225,080 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | Not released | Not released | $101.97 | $212,100 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | 70 | 0.01 | $100.65 | $209,350 |
| Offices of Physicians | Not released | Not released | $85.56 | $177,950 |
| General Surgical and Medical Hospitals | 90 | Less than .005 | $50.80 | $105,660 |
Work Hours
Most orthodontists tend to work four or five days a week. This often means working evenings, weekends, and holidays to accommodate patients with less flexible schedules. However, they also work just 4 days a week on occasion. Therefore, the average work week of an orthodontist is usually around 40 hours long.
Statisticians noticed younger orthodontists tend to work longer to establish their practice, while older ones, with already established practices, tend to work less. This might be one of the causes for the salary decrease after the 20-year mark.
Bonuses and Benefits Packages
According to payscle.com, the most common health benefits seen by orthodontists are medical, dental, and vision insurance, as well as a fair number of sick and paid leave days, and a 401(K) plan for those in the US. As for the extra cash flow that adds to the already substantial orthodontist salary, bonuses and profit sharing can add more than $35,000 a year. Profit sharing is accountable for up to $15,000, while bonuses can add up to $22,000 to the orthodontist yearly salary depending on location, level of experience, and place of employment.
Job Outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment rate for orthodontists is estimated to grow 16% by 2022, much faster than the average for all occupations in the United States. Even though percentages vary, all reviewed country estimate good employment rates for their orthodontists in the next years. One of the reasons for this is the constant increase of the elderly population, always in need of false teeth and prostheses. Moreover, the increase in the number of smokers and hard drug users has been causing havoc in the ranks of young adults all over the country.
Conclusion
Despite having one of the highest salaries in healthcare, orthodontists go through extensive training and require focus, care, a steady hand, and patience. The highly optimistic job outlook and the overall high pay attract many young graduates, even though the activity isn’t one of the most attractive.
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