Wondering how much dentists earn? How about which dental specialty gets paid best? Well, here is a few information that will tell you rough estimates of how much dentists earn on average.

Average annual dental specialist salary

Based on the findings by PayScale.com, the average salaries that dental specialists earned in the calendar year 2015 are as follows.

•Oral surgeons with approximately $212,303 per year average earning.
•Endodontists with approximately $200,978 per year average earning.
•Pediatric dentists with approximately $169,220 per year average earning.
•Periodontists with approximately $168,697 per year average earning.
•Orthodontists with approximately $152,383 per year average earning.
•General dentists with approximately $125,168 per year average earning.

As you can see, oral surgeons enjoy the highest earnings in 2015 while general dentists tend to get the lowest earnings.

Factors that affect the earnings of the dentists

There are different factors that are being considered when it comes to determining how much a dental specialist can earn. Aside from the dental specialist's area of focus, factors like certification, location, specialty, demand, years of experience, and skills are also considered. 

Location

The location of your dental clinic or of your workplace greatly affect how much you will earn as a dentist. It depends on which state or city you practice. If you are practicing in the metropolitan areas, you will likely earn more as compared to those who practice in countryside areas. Currently, the highest-paying metropolitan area for dental specialists is Jackson, Tennessee.

Competition

Normally, the more dental specialists with the same focus as yours are there in your area, the lower your income would be. However, this is still subjective. If you are confident enough with your skills as a dental specialist, and you are able to deliver a higher quality dental care to your patients, there is no way you need to worry about earning just a few dollars. Also part of the competition is the type and quality of dental tools, equipment, and devices you use when performing dental surgeries. Many dental specialists use precision instruments like the dental loupes and headlights making them able to have better visual acuity and allowing them to deliver a higher quality dental care.

Years of experience

Dentists who have already positively established their name in the industry and those who have been in practice for decades tend to get the highest pay. Again, this is also subjective. There are also dentists who practice dentistry for a couple of years already but are unable to improve the quality of their services and their skills.

Demand

As with any other facets of the economy, the law of supply and demand also plays an important role in determining how much you get paid. If you are practicing in an area with high concentration of dental specialists, you can expect to receive a salary that is only below the average. The same is true even if you are in metropolitan areas or high-cost states like California and New Jersey.
Moreover, if the demand for dentists in your location is high, and there are only relatively just a few of you who are practicing dentistry in such area, you will likely earn more than the average rate.

Other factors that can affect how much you get paid as dentists is the volume of your patient, your busyness level, certification, and appointment wait time.