Average Orthodontists Salary in the United States

This occupation code (SOC 29-1023) has no salary data on file. It may have been retired or renamed by BLS.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2024 estimates . Data covers 22 states and 13 metro areas.

No annual salary published. BLS does not publish an annual wage estimate for Orthodontists. This happens with occupations where most work is project-based, hourly, or on irregular schedules (think actors, athletes, musicians, dancers, and some fine art roles). Hourly wages are shown below where available.

National hourly wage

Hourly pay for orthodontists across all workers captured in the latest BLS survey.

Median hourly wage: Not published
Mean hourly wage: $122.41/hr
10th percentile: $47.38/hr
90th percentile: Not published

Hourly rates for orthodontists vary widely by project type, union status, and experience. These figures include both short-engagement and extended work.

National employment

Workers tracked nationally: 5,150
Jobs per 1,000 workers: N/A

Where orthodontists earn the most per hour

BLS publishes hourly wage data for some locations but not others. Here are the locations with the highest reported median hourly wage.

By hourly wage

Top-paying states

Iowa: $107.22/hr
Alabama: $106.74/hr
Ohio: $101.64/hr
Indiana: $97.85/hr
Tennessee: $84.05/hr
South Carolina: $71.35/hr
Georgia: $68.79/hr
Utah: $60.02/hr

By hourly wage

Top-paying metros

Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN: $112.58/hr
Cleveland, OH: $101.64/hr
Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC: $70.01/hr
Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT: $60.02/hr

Where orthodontists work

Locations with the largest workforce for this occupation. The "concentration" number next to each area shows how common this job is locally compared to the rest of the country — anything above 1.00 means the area has a higher-than-average share of orthodontists.

By employment

States with the most jobs

California: 670

LQ 1.10
Ohio: 380

LQ 2.05
New York: 310

LQ 0.97
South Carolina: 280

LQ 3.68
Virginia: 260

LQ 1.93
Alabama: 130

LQ 1.91
Indiana: 130

LQ 1.24
North Carolina: 110

LQ 0.68

By employment

Metros with the most jobs

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 210

LQ 1.97
Cleveland, OH: 200

LQ 5.87
Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC: 80

LQ 5.65
Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT: 70

LQ 6.81
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT: 50

LQ 2.46
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY: 50

LQ 5.23

Job outlook

BLS projects employment for orthodontists from 2024 to 2034. Growth is roughly in line with the US average of about 4% across all occupations.

Projected growth: +4.4%; 300 net jobs over the projection period
Annual openings: 200; Includes growth plus replacements
Typical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree

Entry into this field typically requires a doctoral or professional degree, which helps explain the high wage level and relatively narrow candidate pool.

Related occupations

Other jobs in the same field. Some of these are also hourly or project-based occupations without a published annual salary.