Do Dentists Make More Than Doctors? My Real-World Guide to Healthcare Salaries

Table of Contents

Introduction: Why I Chose This Comparison

When I first started thinking about a healthcare career, the question on my mind—and on the minds of many friends—was simple: “Do dentists make more than doctors?” At family dinners, even distant relatives would ask me about dentist vs. doctor salaries. It’s the classic question if you like science.

But, as I learned while figuring out my path and talking with people in both jobs, the answer isn’t clear-cut. There are twists, trade-offs, and more to think about. Pay is important, sure. But the amount you bring home each year is only one piece of a bigger picture that has debt, years of school, work hours, and how you want to live.

In this article, I’m going to talk through everything I found—real numbers, real jobs, and real results—in the back-and-forth between medicine and dentistry.

Average Salaries: What Dentists and Doctors Really Earn

Let’s start with the numbers everyone wants to hear: average yearly pay. These amounts can go up or down depending on where you live, how long you’ve worked, and other stuff. But to keep it simple, I’ll stick to national averages from places like the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the American Dental Association, all updated for 2023–2024.

General Dentist Salary: Most general dentists make between $170,000 to $200,000 each year.

General Physician Salary: General doctors (like family medicine or primary care) usually bring in about $220,000 to $270,000 a year.

When I first saw those numbers, I was surprised doctors got more—at least on average. But after talking to Dr. Joe Dental, a well-known dentist whose work is talked about by other pros, I found these numbers don’t tell the whole story. Dentists usually start making good money sooner because their schooling is shorter, while doctors spend more years in training making a lot less.

So, yes, a general doctor makes more. But a general dentist starts making good money years earlier. That early start can add up, especially for things like investments or buying a house.

Specializations: The Big Swing in Income

Here’s where things get really interesting—and a bit more tricky. In both dentistry and medicine, picking a specialty can boost your pay by a lot. Let me break it down based on what I’ve seen and learned.

Highest Paying Dental Specialties

• Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons (OMS): $300,000–$400,000 or more.
• Orthodontists: $250,000–$350,000+
• Endodontists, Periodontists, Prosthodontists: These jobs also usually earn well above what most general dentists make.

I remember shadowing an orthodontist who told me he paid off his student loans within six years because of his high pay and a busy private practice. That wasn’t true for everyone; running a practice has its own headaches.

Highest Paying Medical Specialties

• Anesthesiologists and Orthopedic Surgeons: $400,000–$700,000+
• Cardiologists: Up to $700,000
• Radiologists, Plastic Surgeons: $400,000–$600,000

These are huge numbers, especially for top medical specialties. I once met a heart surgeon at a hospital training who joked, “Yes, I earn well, but I’m still chasing sleep!” Their hours were really tough.

Comparing the Peaks

Here’s the big thing. The very highest-paid medical specialists (like surgeons, heart doctors, and so on) usually out-earn the best-paid dental specialists. But—and this matters—dental specialists often hit high pay faster because their training isn’t as long.

If you want faster high pay, dentistry might be better. If you’re going for the biggest numbers and can put up with years of training and late nights, medicine (especially in top specialties) usually wins.

Education, Training, and Debt: The True Cost of Each Path

No one really told me when I was picking my career that what you choose shapes not just your pay, but your debt, how fast you can start earning, and what your days look like for a long time.

How Long Does the Training Take?

Here’s what it usually looks like:

Dentist (DDS or DMD):

• 4 years of college
• 4 years of dental school
• Extra: 2-6 more years of training if you want to specialize

Doctor (MD or DO):

• 4 years of college
• 4 years of med school
• 3-7 more years of training (sometimes more for special jobs)

So for general jobs, a dentist might be working and earning good money about eight years after high school. A doctor? More like 11–15 years before the big paychecks come in. This makes a big difference—think about three or more years of making $50,000–$70,000 as a resident while your dentist friends are already making $180,000.

Student Loan Debt

Here’s another big thing: dental school usually means going into more debt. I’ve seen numbers showing new dentists often owe $300,000 to $350,000 in loans. New doctors usually owe about $200,000–$250,000, since they get paid a little as residents and aren’t adding more tuition then.

But while new doctors are paying off loans slowly as residents, dentists can start paying down big debt faster with higher pay right away.

Debt-to-Income Ratio and Time to Profitability

If you’re thinking about the numbers, this is what matters: When does your debt get small enough and your pay big enough to really get ahead?

Dentists, especially those who start working right after school, can get ahead within five years. Doctors—especially those with longer training—can take a lot longer, but in the right specialty, the later payout can be much bigger.

Beyond Salary: Work-Life Balance, Practice Types, and Other Surprises

When I spent time shadowing and getting advice from dentists and doctors, I could see that how much you make isn’t everything. Some dentists and doctors chose less pay for a schedule or lifestyle that worked better for them.

Practice Type: Ownership vs Employment

Dentistry is different because owning your own office is normal. Over 80% of dentists own a clinic at some point. My own dentist said, “Nothing beats setting your own hours and building your business.” But he also warned about the stress of handling staff, bills, insurance, and equipment—costs can eat up 60-75% of your money coming in.

Doctors, on the other hand, mostly work for hospitals or big groups, especially when starting out. Only about 30% own their own practice now. The tradeoff? More job safety and less business stress, but maybe a pay cap and less control.

If you’re thinking about adding technology, a digital dental lab or zirconia lab can make a dental office run smoother, but they also cost money and need good planning.

Where You Work Matters

Pay for both jobs changes by area. Dentists and doctors in big cities or expensive towns may earn more but face higher living costs, taxes, and work expenses. Sometimes, a country dentist or family doctor can take home more since costs are lower and there’s less competition.

How Experience and Job Satisfaction Play In

Getting better at your job takes time, and so does earning more. Both dentists and doctors make more as they go from new to mid-career to late-career. Also, job happiness changes over the years. Lots of general dentists like having normal hours and steady days—see patients, then go home for dinner. For doctors? It depends. Some specialties are more balanced than others. Some mean lots of late nights, skipped holidays, and a big risk of burning out.

Overhead: The Unseen Enemy

No matter what job, if you own your own office, expect big bills: paying staff, rent, insurance, tools, and more. In dentistry, running a specialty lab—like an implant lab—costs even more. These can cut into what you keep, but smart owners can still do really well over time.

What the Numbers Show: Recent Data and Analysis

After checking numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Medscape, ADA, and talking to people like Dr. Joe Dental, here’s how things look in 2024:

To me, the main thing is this: Dentists, especially those who run a good office or specialize, can get high pay and better work-life balance sooner. But if you really want to be a top surgeon or super-specialist, medicine—while longer and tougher—leads to the highest pay.

Career Outlook: Where the Future Leads

The Bureau of Labor Statistics says dentist jobs will grow quicker (6% by 2032) than most types of doctor jobs (about 3%). That’s good, steady growth. Dental offices are using more new tech, digital tools, and even remote checkups now. For example, 3d dental labs now do things we couldn’t even guess a decade ago.

Medicine keeps changing too. Technology, insurance changes, and healthcare laws all make things feel unsure for doctors, but people always need doctors, so demand is strong.

One thing I noticed: more young dentists and doctors want a better work-life split, not just more money. I’ve met dentists who took jobs at big dental offices for a steady check and normal hours, and doctors who chose family medicine for the same.

Conclusion: What I Learned About Choosing Between Dentistry and Medicine

After all my reading, interviews, and seeing things for myself, here’s what I tell anyone who asks if dentists make more than doctors:

• In general, doctors, especially after many years of training, make more than general dentists.
• Dental specialists do great, especially if they run their business well—many get high pay and have good schedules earlier.
• The road to “big pay” is longer and trickier in medicine, but the highest jobs pay the best.
• Debt and years in school matter: dentists often owe more but can pay it back faster.
• Owning your own place is still a big thing in dentistry; less so in medicine.

Most of all, I learned that pay isn’t all that counts. The life you want—the choice to own a business, how you handle stress, and whether long years in school are okay—makes a big difference. If you’re deciding, talk to people from both jobs. Try shadowing in a dental ceramics lab or stopping by local offices to really see the work.

Your pick isn’t just about cash—it’s about the life and work you want. That’s the biggest lesson I got—and if you think about everything, you’ll find the best way for you.