Orthodontists Salary: $198,410 Average Pay, California (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 5,150 orthodontists work nationally, and $198,410 is the mean annual wage in our California OEWS extract. Employment in the series shown fell about 37% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 2.9% annual growth.
Orthodontists: what the data shows
Common questions about orthodontists careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a orthodontists?
Orthodontists is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 29-1023.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 5,150 workers.
What does a orthodontists do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Developing and Building Teams, Documenting/Recording Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a orthodontists make?
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $198,410.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $93,853 |
| 25th percentile | $104,176 |
| Median (50th) | $104,176 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Monitoring, Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Active Listening, Coordination, and knowledge areas including Medicine and Dentistry, Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Biology. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is orthodontists in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 2.9% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 15.2%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 32.8%.
Current U.S. headcount: 5,150.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do orthodontistss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 5,150 | 20.1% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 5,140 | 20.1% |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 5,130 | 20.0% |
| Ambulatory Health Care Services | 5,070 | 19.8% |
| Offices of Dentists | 5,000 | 19.5% |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 80 | 0.3% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Orthodontists in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear Medicine Technologists | 16,960 | $97,020 |
| Biochemists and Biophysicists | 34,520 | $103,650 |
| Prosthodontists | 760 | — |
| Dental Laboratory Technicians | 33,920 | $48,310 |
| Orthotists and Prosthetists | 9,930 | $78,310 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Orthodontists workforce.
Employment Over Time
5,150 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Orthodontists grew from 1,080 in 2009 to 1,700 in 2025 (57.4%).
Historical employment for Orthodontists from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$198,410 Mean pay (California OEWS)
Orthodontists earn $198,410 as the mean annual wage in our California OEWS extract.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Orthodontists.
Salary distribution for Orthodontists.
Employment Growth Projections
2.9% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
1,958 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 15.2%
2,257 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 32.8%
This occupation is projected to grow at 2.9% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Orthodontists.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Orthodontists and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Orthodontists employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Orthodontists.
Wage Trends by Industry
-7.6% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: -47.0% growth (Current: $198,410)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Orthodontists.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Orthodontists.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 670 employees, $193,160 avg wage
- OH: 380 employees, $214,360 avg wage
- NY: 310 employees, $202,540 avg wage
- SC: 280 employees, $192,480 avg wage
- VA: 260 employees, N/A avg wage
- AL: 130 employees, $231,680 avg wage
- IN: 130 employees, $194,640 avg wage
- NC: 110 employees, $302,980 avg wage
- UT: 100 employees, $126,520 avg wage
- CT: 80 employees, $381,660 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Orthodontists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 210 employees, N/A avg wage
- Cleveland, OH: 200 employees, $252,990 avg wage
- Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC: 80 employees, $202,620 avg wage
- Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT: 70 employees, $125,150 avg wage
- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT: 50 employees, N/A avg wage
- Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY: 50 employees, N/A avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Orthodontists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Orthodontists in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Orthodontists is about 5,150 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Orthodontists.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Orthodontists.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Orthodontists.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Orthodontists in 2023 were Business Administration, Health Sciences, Engineering.
Common majors for Orthodontists.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Orthodontists workers.
Education level distribution for Orthodontists.
Skills
Orthodontists need many skills, but most especially Monitoring, Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Active Listening.
Required skills for Orthodontists.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Orthodontists.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Orthodontists include Medicine and Dentistry, Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Biology, Computers and Electronics.
Knowledge areas required for Orthodontists.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Orthodontists include Problem Sensitivity, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Finger Dexterity, Written Comprehension, Oral Expression.
Required abilities for Orthodontists.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Orthodontists.
Daily Activities
Orthodontists spend their time on activities such as Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Developing and Building Teams, Documenting/Recording Information.
Most important work activities for Orthodontists.
About
Orthodontists
Orthodontists earn $198,410 as the mean annual wage in our California OEWS extract.
SOC Code
29-1023 - Orthodontists
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Orthodontists reports an average salary of $198,410, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 5,150 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 2.9%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.