Orthodontists
Orthodontists (SOC 29-1023) earn a median $289,140 a year ($139.01 an hour) in the United States, with 6,210 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Connecticut.
What orthodontists do
Orthodontists are dental specialists who straighten teeth and correct the way the upper and lower jaws meet. After taking records such as photographs, impressions or digital scans, x-rays and models of the teeth, the orthodontist diagnoses the problem and drafts a treatment plan with an estimate of time and cost. Treatment means fitting and adjusting braces and other dental appliances, then adjusting them over follow-up visits while teeth move into place. They prepare diagnostic and treatment records, and they advise patients to comply with the plan, since results depend on it. Most people in this occupation report post-doctoral training. Fixing the bite and straightening the teeth is the specialty's focus; cavities, crowns and routine cleanings stay with general dentists, and jaw operations with oral surgeons.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report postdoctoral training as the typical level of education for this occupation (69 percent).
Also called: Board Certified Orthodontist, Dental Treatment Coordinator, Dentofacial Orthopedics Dentist, Invisible Braces Orthodontist, Orthodontic Dentist.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $48.01 | $70.47 | $139.01 | $164.57 | $200.00 | $124.71 | 6,210 |
| Annual | $99,850 | $146,580 | $289,140 | $342,300 | $416,000 | $259,400 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where orthodontists earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $98.59 | $156.09 | $230.13 | $236.47 | $242.75 | $198.13 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $205,070 | $324,670 | $478,680 | $491,860 | $504,920 | $412,100 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $74.80 | $200.00 | $200.00 | $250.00 | $250.00 | $194.29 | 160 | 0.05 | 1.35 |
| Annual | $155,590 | $416,000 | $416,000 | $520,000 | $520,000 | $404,120 | ||||
| Maryland | Hourly | $108.86 | $119.29 | $173.57 | $173.58 | $173.58 | $151.53 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $226,420 | $248,110 | $361,030 | $361,050 | $361,050 | $315,180 | ||||
| Michigan | Hourly | $82.48 | $124.97 | $171.68 | $187.47 | $203.55 | $157.36 | 140 | 0.03 | 0.78 |
| Annual | $171,560 | $259,940 | $357,090 | $389,940 | $423,380 | $327,310 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $47.86 | $108.24 | $164.95 | $226.63 | $235.26 | $161.49 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $99,560 | $225,140 | $343,100 | $471,390 | $489,340 | $335,910 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,070 | 0.08 | 1.90 |
| Annual | * | * | * | * | * | * | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 450 | 0.05 | 1.13 |
| Annual | * | * | * | * | * | * | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $30.26 | $139.63 | $139.63 | $139.63 | $209.26 | $132.81 | 290 | 0.08 | 2.03 |
| Annual | $62,940 | $290,430 | $290,430 | $290,440 | $435,260 | $276,250 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $50.48 | $52.13 | $105.43 | $152.92 | $156.24 | $99.24 | 250 | 0.05 | 1.13 |
| Annual | $104,990 | $108,430 | $219,300 | $318,070 | $324,970 | $206,430 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $74.80 | $200.00 | $200.00 | $250.00 | $250.00 | $194.29 | 160 | 0.05 | 1.35 |
| Annual | $155,590 | $416,000 | $416,000 | $520,000 | $520,000 | $404,120 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | Hourly | $48.27 | $94.75 | $173.87 | $174.67 | $174.67 | $134.42 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $100,400 | $197,080 | $361,650 | $363,310 | $363,310 | $279,600 | ||||
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | Hourly | $113.10 | $168.26 | $173.58 | $173.58 | $173.58 | $159.48 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $235,240 | $349,990 | $361,040 | $361,050 | $361,050 | $331,720 | ||||
| Portland-South Portland, ME | Hourly | $87.50 | $117.50 | $155.51 | $155.51 | $155.51 | $135.15 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $181,990 | $244,390 | $323,460 | $323,460 | $323,460 | $281,120 | ||||
| Cleveland, OH | Hourly | $105.43 | $105.43 | $152.92 | $152.92 | $152.92 | $133.46 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $219,300 | $219,300 | $318,070 | $318,070 | $318,070 | $277,590 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $81.95 | $149.61 | $149.61 | $149.61 | $198.73 | $145.78 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $170,450 | $311,180 | $311,180 | $311,180 | $413,360 | $303,220 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 210 | 0.10 | 2.53 |
| Annual | * | * | * | * | * | * | ||||
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | Hourly | $46.58 | $97.94 | $130.93 | $159.20 | $165.94 | $119.43 | 100 | 0.04 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $96,880 | $203,710 | $272,330 | $331,140 | $345,150 | $248,410 | ||||
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $174,360 for orthodontists in May 2022 and $289,140 in May 2025, with employment of 6,310 and 6,210.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | # | # | 5,140 |
| May 2022 | $174,360 | $83.83 | 6,310 |
| May 2023 | # | # | 6,400 |
| May 2024 | # | # | 5,150 |
| May 2025 | $289,140 | $139.01 | 6,210 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
26 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut profile | $230.13 | $478,680 | $205,070 | $504,920 | ** | ** | ** |
| 2 | Colorado profile | $200.00 | $416,000 | $155,590 | $520,000 | 160 | 0.05 | 1.35 |
| 3 | Maryland profile | $173.57 | $361,030 | $226,420 | $361,050 | ** | ** | ** |
| 4 | Michigan profile | $171.68 | $357,090 | $171,560 | $423,380 | 140 | 0.03 | 0.78 |
| 5 | Illinois profile | $164.95 | $343,100 | $99,560 | $489,340 | ** | ** | ** |
| 6 | Tennessee profile | $163.28 | $339,610 | $180,190 | $363,310 | ** | ** | ** |
| 7 | Missouri profile | $159.92 | $332,630 | $161,730 | $332,630 | ** | ** | ** |
| 8 | Montana profile | $150.40 | $312,840 | $95,490 | $375,190 | ** | ** | ** |
| 9 | South Carolina profile | $149.73 | $311,450 | $143,840 | $377,370 | ** | ** | ** |
| 10 | Pennsylvania profile | $149.61 | $311,180 | $202,170 | $443,080 | ** | ** | ** |
| 11 | Maine profile | $144.83 | $301,250 | $171,120 | $323,460 | 60 | 0.10 | 2.37 |
| 12 | Washington profile | $139.63 | $290,430 | $62,940 | $435,260 | 290 | 0.08 | 2.03 |
| 13 | Arizona profile | $130.93 | $272,330 | $96,730 | $345,150 | 120 | 0.04 | 0.90 |
| 14 | Alabama profile | $121.96 | $253,670 | $193,860 | $316,370 | ** | ** | ** |
| 15 | North Carolina profile | $108.17 | $224,990 | $182,170 | $398,000 | 160 | 0.03 | 0.81 |
| 16 | Ohio profile | $105.43 | $219,300 | $104,990 | $324,970 | 250 | 0.05 | 1.13 |
| 17 | Wisconsin profile | $102.34 | $212,860 | $106,040 | $313,050 | 90 | 0.03 | 0.77 |
| 18 | New York profile | $83.16 | $172,980 | $61,410 | $430,460 | 130 | 0.01 | 0.35 |
| 19 | Georgia profile | $76.55 | $159,230 | $112,750 | $219,740 | ** | ** | ** |
| – | Florida profile | * | * | * | * | 450 | 0.05 | 1.13 |
| – | Idaho profile | * | * | * | * | 40 | 0.05 | 1.19 |
| – | Indiana profile | # | # | # | # | ** | ** | ** |
| – | Mississippi profile | * | * | * | * | 90 | 0.08 | 2.00 |
| – | Nebraska profile | # | # | # | # | ** | ** | ** |
| – | Oklahoma profile | # | # | # | # | 30 | 0.02 | 0.46 |
| – | Texas profile | * | * | * | * | 1,070 | 0.08 | 1.90 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (29-1020), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 29-1023 Orthodontists.
#- Equal to or greater than the top code (BLS publishes no wage above it).
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them. A withheld or top-coded cell in that table shows the marker explained above.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 29-1023, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 29-1023.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.