Which Dental Specialty Makes the Most Money? (2026)
The short answer
If you're asking which dental specialty makes the most money, the federal data gives a clear answer: oral and maxillofacial surgery. In the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 wage survey, oral surgeons had a median annual wage of $352,220. Prosthodontists and orthodontists came next. General dentists sat at $170,950.
There's a catch. BLS only counts dentists who are employees. It leaves out the self-employed, and in dentistry that means most practice owners, who are the people at the top of every specialty's income range.
So below are three sources side by side: BLS wages, the ADA's survey of private-practice net income, and the pay employers post in our own job listings. They measure different things, and they disagree more than you'd expect. If you're picking a residency or sitting on an offer, the disagreement is the useful part.
What BLS says (May 2025)
These are wage-and-salary employees only, from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
| Occupation (BLS code) | Employed | Mean wage | Median wage | 75th percentile | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral and maxillofacial surgeons (29-1022) | 4,910 | $346,490 | $352,220 | $428,710 | $622,640 |
| Prosthodontists (29-1024) | 870 | $268,630 | $311,180 | $333,480 | $344,750 |
| Orthodontists (29-1023) | 6,210 | $259,400 | $289,140 | $342,300 | $416,000 |
| Dentists, all other specialists (29-1029) | 5,230 | $247,930 | $224,990 | $280,590 | $402,700 |
| Dentists, general (29-1021) | 124,390 | $191,350 | $170,950 | $224,040 | $319,630 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025, national estimates.
A few caveats before you lean on it.
Until the May 2024 release, BLS didn't print any wage above $239,200. It just showed a flag ("equal to or greater than $239,200"), which is why older salary articles list the same 90th percentile for every specialty. Starting with May 2025, BLS publishes the actual figures for many of those percentiles. This is the first year you can see how far the oral surgery range really runs.
Endodontists, periodontists and pediatric dentists don't get a code of their own. They're lumped into "all other specialists" with a few smaller fields.
And the prosthodontist row rests on about 870 employed people. One survey cycle can move a number like that a lot, so I wouldn't read much into prosthodontics beating orthodontics.
What the ADA's practice survey says
The ADA Health Policy Institute asks private-practice dentists, owners included, what they netted for the year. Its 2026 Survey of Dental Practice covers 2025 income:
- General practitioners: average $215,320, median $185,010
- All specialists: average $346,520, median $258,880
- Pediatric dentists: average $328,500, median $245,300
Pediatrics was the only specialty with enough 2025 responses to report on its own. For the rest, here is the most recent year the ADA could publish:
| Specialty | Median net income (private practice) | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Oral and maxillofacial surgeons | $445,120 | 2022 |
| Periodontists | $295,780 | 2024 |
| Endodontists | $279,040 | 2021 |
| Pediatric dentists | $245,300 | 2025 |
| Orthodontists | $242,630 | 2024 |
| Prosthodontists | $195,000 | 2018 |
| General practitioners | $185,010 | 2025 |
Source: ADA Health Policy Institute, Survey of Dental Practice (Tables 1 and 4, 2026 edition).
Treat this table as a rough range. The 2026 survey had a 1.9% response rate, and the specialty samples are small enough that medians jump around. Orthodontists went from $286,670 in 2023 to $242,630 in 2024. Nobody's practice changed that much in a year.
What employers post in our listings
We track 1,700+ dental job listings posted over the last six months. Here's what they show by specialty (updated October 2026):
| Specialty | Listings | Median posted base salary | Median daily rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| General dentistry | 1,035 | $180,000 (81 posts) | $900 (167 posts) |
| Endodontics | 352 | $350,000 (35 posts) | $1,850 (49 posts) |
| Pediatric dentistry | 288 | $260,000 (24 posts) | $1,100 (61 posts) |
| Orthodontics | 16 | not enough posted pay | not enough posted pay |
| Oral surgery | 18 | not enough posted pay | not enough posted pay |
| Periodontics | 6 | not enough posted pay | not enough posted pay |
| Prosthodontics | 6 | not enough posted pay | not enough posted pay |
This is the number on the offer, not the number on the W-2. It's mostly associate jobs, and it's the base salary or daily rate the employer chose to advertise. Production bonuses and percentage-of-collections pay on top of a guarantee aren't in it.
In our listings, endodontists post a median base of $350K, against $180K for general dentists. On daily rates, endodontics posts a median of $1,850 and general dentistry $900.
Orthodontics, oral surgery, periodontics and prosthodontics barely show up, and when they do, the pay line is usually blank. Those jobs tend to be partnership-track or production-only, where the number depends on what you'll produce, so employers don't put one in the ad.
Why the three sources disagree
BLS counts employees in every setting (DSOs, hospitals, government, universities) and leaves owners out. The ADA counts private-practice net income, owners included, from a small sample. Our listings show what employers advertise to job seekers right now, which tilts toward associate roles.
Ownership explains most of the gap. In the ADA's 2025 data, general practice owners averaged $228,980 net while employed general dentists averaged $164,510. Specialist owners averaged $372,460. Oral surgeons and orthodontists top most income rankings because so many of them own their practices, and an ownership income never shows up in a job posting.
Specialty by specialty
Oral and maxillofacial surgery
Oral surgery comes out on top in every source that can measure it. BLS puts the median employed oral surgeon at $352,220, with the 90th percentile at $622,640. The ADA's last reliable private-practice median was $445,120 in 2022. The cost is the longest training of any dental specialty and the heaviest liability exposure, which shows up in oral surgeon malpractice insurance premiums.
Orthodontics
BLS median $289,140, with the 90th percentile at $416,000. The ADA's 2024 median was $242,630. Orthodontic income tracks case starts and ownership more than anything else, and associate jobs are commonly paid per day or as a share of collections. Liability is lower than surgery but not trivial; see orthodontist malpractice insurance.
Endodontics
BLS folds endodontists into "all other specialists," whose national median was $224,990 in May 2025. The ADA's last reliable endodontist median was $279,040 in 2021. Endodontics is one of the few specialties where employers post pay often enough for us to report it: a median base of $350K across 35 postings that listed one.
Endodontist salary in Texas
BLS doesn't publish an endodontist-only number for any state. The closest is "all other specialists" in Texas: about 730 employed, with a median of $286,510 and a mean of $280,030 in May 2025. Texas general dentists had a median of $162,360. Pediatric dentists and periodontists are in that specialist bucket too, so treat it as a ceiling check, not an endodontist quote. For general dentist pay in the state, see our Texas dental salary data.
Pediatric dentistry
The ADA's best-measured specialty for 2025: average net $328,500, median $245,300. In our listings, pediatric jobs post a median base of $260K and a median daily rate of $1,100. Many pediatric associate offers pair a daily guarantee with a percentage of production or collections, so the posted number is a floor.
Periodontics
The ADA's 2024 median was $295,780. BLS counts periodontists in "all other specialists." Implant volume drives a lot of the variation, and perio jobs with posted pay are rare in our data.
Prosthodontics
BLS shows a $311,180 median, but from a very small employed group. The ADA hasn't had enough prosthodontist responses to publish since 2018. Many prosthodontists work in academic, hospital or owner settings, so few of their jobs reach public job boards.
General dentistry
BLS median $170,950; ADA private-practice median $185,010 for 2025. General dentistry is the bulk of our data, 1,035 listings, so it's the most reliable row in our table. For state-level numbers, browse dental salaries by state, and for how associate pay is structured, see our 2026 associate salary guide, our live associate pay data, and production vs. collections pay.
The cost side of a specialty
The higher pay comes after more years of training, and those years aren't free. Oral surgery runs four years for a certificate and six with an MD. Orthodontics, periodontics, endodontics, prosthodontics and pediatrics are generally two to three years. Some programs charge tuition on top of dental school debt; others, often hospital-based ones, pay a stipend. Those years of delayed earnings and added interest can erase a good chunk of the pay advantage, especially early on. We run the numbers in dental specialty residency debt.
Malpractice is the other ongoing cost. Surgical specialties with sedation pay far more than general dentists, while orthodontists and endodontists sit closer to the middle. Your premium also depends on state, procedures and claims history, so get a real number before you budget.
Specialist contracts carry their own traps too: production splits on lab fees, collections-only pay, and buy-in terms that are never spelled out. Our list of specialist contract red flags covers the common ones. If you have an offer in hand, grade your contract free.
Frequently asked questions
Which dental specialty makes the most money?
Oral and maxillofacial surgery. It has the highest median wage in BLS May 2025 data ($352,220) and the highest median net income in the most recent ADA year that measured it ($445,120 in 2022).
What is the highest paid dental specialty besides oral surgery?
It depends on the source. BLS puts prosthodontists ($311,180 median) and orthodontists ($289,140) next among employees. The ADA's private-practice data ranks periodontists and endodontists near the top in recent years. The sample sizes are small, so treat the order below oral surgery as close.
How much does an endodontist make?
BLS doesn't track endodontists separately. The "all other specialists" group they belong to had a national median of $224,990 in May 2025. The ADA's last reliable private-practice median for endodontists was $279,040 in 2021. Owners typically earn more than either figure.
How much does a pediatric dentist make?
The ADA reports an average net income of $328,500 and a median of $245,300 for pediatric dentists in private practice in 2025.
Do orthodontists make more than general dentists?
Yes, in both sources. BLS shows a $289,140 median for orthodontists against $170,950 for general dentists, and the ADA shows the same direction. The gap narrows for orthodontists who stay employed and widens for those who own.
Why do salary sites show such different numbers for the same specialty?
They measure different people. BLS covers employees only, the ADA covers private-practice owners and employees from a small survey, and job postings show advertised base pay before bonuses. Check which one a number comes from before you compare it to an offer.
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This article provides general information only. Pay varies by market, ownership, and contract terms. Figures from our listings update automatically as new jobs are posted.
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