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- Salaries for dentists depend on their specializations.
- Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we found the average annual salary for seven types of dentists.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Dentists can earn a lot of money depending on their educational background and specialization.
We compiled salaries from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment Statistics program, a database that updates salaries for about 800 detailed occupations annually.
Here are seven types of dental professions, along with their average annual salaries and number of people employed as of 2018, as well as their job descriptions, according to the Department of Labor’s O*NET occupational database.
Dental assistants make an average of $39,770 a year
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Number employed: 341,060
What they do, according to O*NET: As their name implies, they assist dentists with everything from setting up equipment to preparing patients for treatment, and they record patients’ dental histories. Typically, a vocational school degree is the only requirement for this career.
Dental laboratory technicians make an average of $43,180 a year
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Number employed: 34,480
What they do, according to O*NET: They construct and repair dentures and dental appliances using models made from a patient’s mouth. The models they create must mimic the bite and movement of a patient’s jaw, which determines the design of the dental product.
Dental hygienists make an average of $75,500 a year
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Number employed: 215,150
What they do, according to O*NET: They clean teeth and examine patients’ mouths for signs of oral disease. They also take X-rays, use dental instruments to remove deposits and stains from teeth and gums. Most dental hygienists only need to have an associate’s degree.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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SEE ALSO: 11 signs it’s time to go to the dentist
Source: Business Insider – ideluce@businessinsider.com (Ivan De Luce)