What Does a Graduating Pediatric Dentist Earn?

So you have done well in college and were accepted into dental school. During this time you have realized that you have a special talent and interest in working with kids. You apply and are accepted into a pediatric residency and spend a couple of more years earning your pediatric dental certification.

Finally, after many years of study and devotion, you are a pediatric dentist! You are now ready to enter the market and find that first job and wonder what is fair and what you can expect to earn. You probably have heard figures from your residency director, co-residents and others in the specialty and the numbers may vary widely. Who is right? They are probably all correct in what they are telling you and the differences can be explained by understanding what they have experienced. I am an independent recruiter who works exclusively with dental specialists and I spend most of my time with private pediatric dental practices and those looking to hire a pediatric dentist. I work nationally and see daily what practices are offering and new graduates are getting in different areas around the country. What am I seeing? Nationally, on average, I see base guarantee of around $200,000 which is vs. a % of collections. Most practices pay on a % of collections rather than production since most are participating in a few PPO’s or discounted plans. To break this down further, the daily guarantee averages between $800 and $1,200. The daily guarantee should become a moot point after one is up and running with a practice and it is there as a floor. With the guarantee, the practice is saying that they are going to have a schedule that will allow you to be productive and, if they do not for a particular day, you will still be paid for your time.What % are practices paying? Typically it will be between 35% and 45%. A % approach is recommended rather than a flat salary because it allows the associate to be in control of their destiny and they know what they need to produce and then collect in order to reach a certain earnings level. With the % approach vs. a salary, practice owners are not wondering if they are overpaying and associates are not wondering if they are being underpaid and are incentivized to work rather than surfing the internet or other non productive distractions. Why would one work for 35% when others are getting 45%? I see a good number of graduating pediatric dentists who evaluate a practice opportunity based on the % alone and anything less than 40% or 45% are not of interest to them. What they really need to look at is the nature of the practice to include the patient flow, whether they will be doing a good amount of restorative and the ability to do hospital dentistry and sedations etc. A pediatric dentist can do much better financially in a busy practice paying a lower % vs. a higher end, slower practice paying 45% where they are relegated to hygiene checks and little restorative dentistry. Location, Location, Location: That said, the biggest factor in what a new graduate pediatric dentist can and will earn is where they decide to live and practice. This is a simple supply and demand economics equation with some of the best earnings opportunities being in areas that you and I may have never heard of. What I see is that most of the major metropolitan areas across the country tend to be fairly saturated with pediatric dentists and it can be more challenging for the new graduates to find truly good private practice opportunities. I recommend looking at areas where people are not going and take a position there for a couple of years. You can earn a great deal, gain very valuable experience and make yourself much more marketable and you will find it much easier to get into the market where you really want to be for the long term. If you have any questions about earnings or the state of pediatric dentistry in certain areas of the country feel free to call me. I will be happy to share with you what I know. Gary Harris is a nationwide Recruiter for Dental Specialists at ETS Dental. He can be reached at gharris@etsdental.com or 540-491-9115. ETS Dental is a Dental Recruiting firm specializing in finding and placing General Dentists, Dental Specialists, and Dental Staff throughout the United States. www.etsdental.com

News/Insights

Advance your Dental Career by Working with a Recruiter For Job Seekers

Advance your Dental Career by Working with a Recruiter

Sep 3, 2024

Get the edge you need to not just land a job, but to advance your dental career! The job market in 2024 is on fire, and demand for talented dentists and dental specialist is ...

Beyond the Salary – Intangible Benefits for Dentists to Consider Job Search

Beyond the Salary – Intangible Benefits for Dentists to Consider

Aug 1, 2024

When looking at changing practices or comparing job offers, financial compensation is often one of the first things to be compared. It's easy and quantifiable.  As you eva...

How to Set Yourself Apart from Other Candidates During the Interview Interviewing

How to Set Yourself Apart from Other Candidates During the Interview

Jul 31, 2024

The increased demand for dentists in today's job market means you may very likely have multiple offers on the table. Conversely, most practices look at multiple candidates bec...

Interview Tips for Dentists For Job Seekers

Interview Tips for Dentists

Jan 24, 2024

Whether you're a recent graduate or an experienced Dentist, it's always a good idea to polish up your interview skills before jumping into your job search. Take a few moments ...

Reasons to Use a Recruiter in a Candidate-Driven Market Job Search

Reasons to Use a Recruiter in a Candidate-Driven Market

Sep 1, 2021

We'll be the first to admit it's currently a hot employment market, with demand for qualified associates at unprecedented levels all across the country. If you're a dentist lo...

Two New Factors to Consider in Your Job Search Job Search

Two New Factors to Consider in Your Job Search

Aug 20, 2021

The employment market for dentists has never been better. That's good. But there are some things to consider that have been less important in previous years.  The package, f...

Maybe It’s Time to Go – 7 Signs to Start Job Hunting Job Search

Maybe It’s Time to Go – 7 Signs to Start Job Hunting

May 28, 2020

Every job has its good days and bad, but what are the signs you need to be polishing up your CV? At ETS, we work with practices and candidates every day, and these are the thi...

Job Seekers: It’s Time to Strengthen Your Personal Brand Job Search

Job Seekers: It’s Time to Strengthen Your Personal Brand

May 19, 2020

Dental practices across the country are going to take some time to rebound in the wake of the COVID-19 shutdowns. This will surely delay or slow down the hiring of Associates,...

Is a Personal Brand Website Right for Me? Job Search

Is a Personal Brand Website Right for Me?

Mar 9, 2020

There was a time that you literally had to be a computer scientist to create a website promoting your expertise. With the rise of Wix, Squarespace, Wordpress, and other platfo...

Looking for a New Job While Keeping Your Current Job Job Search

Looking for a New Job While Keeping Your Current Job

Feb 6, 2020

Nearly everyone agrees that the best time to look for a job is when you are gainfully employed. It can be tricky, but here are a few hints.  1) Don’t share with co-workers ...