This article deals with the role of dentists as it is expected to extend into the future. Read on for some figures culled from the US Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Projections call for a 16 percent increase in top dentistry jobs by 2018.
Statisticians with the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics expect 164,000 dentists in 2018 compared with 141,900 in 2008 when the latest job outlook numbers were compiled. In the Occupational Outlook Handbook 2010-11 Edition,
projections expect the number of dental professionals will increase 16 percent during that 10-year period. That is equal to the bureau's projections for all jobs in the dental field, slated to increase 16 percent by 2018.
The projections call for general dentists (120,200 to 138,600), oral and maxillofacial surgeons (6,700 to 7.700) and dentists in all other specialty areas (6,900 to 7,900) being a tick under that general projection. All three areas are expected to see 15-percent job growth through 2018. Above the general dental field projections are orthodontists with a 20 percent bump (7,700 to 9,200) and prosthodontists, who replace missing teeth, jumping 40 percent (700 to 900) by 2018.
The biggest percentage job growth in the dental field by 2018 is projected to be in outpatient care centers, with a 52-percent increase in jobs expected. The lowest growth in the dental field by 2018 is expected in self-employed workers, with only a 6-percent increase anticipated.
In 2008, the mean annual salary for dental professionals was $142,870. The mean annual wage for individuals that diagnosis and treat gum and teeth problems is expected to increase to $156,850 by 2018. Professionals working in dental offices are expected to be the highest wage earners in the field in 2018, taking home a mean annual salary of $159,350.
The lowest mean salary for dental professionals will be for individuals in medical or surgical hospitals. Their mean salary in 2018 is expected to be $109,560.
The highest-paid professionals in the field of dentistry in 2018 are expected to be in Maine, earning a mean annual income of $205,960. In metropolitan areas, one of the highest-paying areas for dental professionals will be Rocky Mount, N.C., with a mean annual salary projected to be $236,330.
In 2018, the highest concentration of practitioners in dentistry per population is expected to be in Idaho with nearly one out of every 1,000 workers being a tooth fixer. For metropolitan areas, Punta Gorda, FL, is expected to be dental capital of the United States, with 2.2 dentists per 1,000 workers. The 120 projected dentists in Prescott, AZ, are expected to be a close second in 2018, with 2.1 dental professionals per 1,000 workers.
In salary comparisons, by 2018, the mean annual salary for chiropractors is expected to be $80,390; optometrists, $106,960; physicians and surgeons, $173,860; family and general practitioners, $168,550; podiatrists, $131,730; and veterinarians, $90,110.
In the dentistry field, mean annual salaries by 2018 are projected at: oral and maxillofacial surgeons, $210,710; dental specialists, $153,570; orthodontists, $206,190; and prosthodontists, $125,400.
Statistics show that three out of four dental professionals are solo practitioners. Projections call for good job prospects in the dental industry because a large number of dental professionals are expected to retire within the next seven years.
