Dentists, General
Median $170,950
Occupation · SOC 29-1023
Orthodontists: pay and where the jobs are
What orthodontists earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$289,140 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $259,400
- Median hourly wage
- $139.01
- Mean hourly wage
- $124.71
- Employment
- 6,210
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 29-1023.
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Use these numbers
How much do orthodontists make?
The median annual wage for orthodontists was $289,140 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $99,850 and the highest-paid 10% more than $416,000. As an hourly rate, the median is $139.01. About 6,210 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Connecticut ($478,680), Colorado ($416,000) and Maryland ($361,030). Connecticut also comes out on top after taxes and local prices.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for orthodontists looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $99,850 | $48.01 | $8,321 | $6,590 |
| 25th percentile | $146,580 | $70.47 | $12,215 | $9,288 |
| Median | $289,140 | $139.01 | $24,095 | $16,891 |
| 75th percentile | $342,300 | $164.57 | $28,525 | $19,431 |
| 90th percentile | $416,000 | $200.00 | $34,667 | $22,953 |
Orthodontists: pay by state
22 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$270,908 take-home in national prices
2
$252,130 take-home in national prices
3
$249,422 take-home in national prices
Where a median orthodontist paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | Not published | $478,680 | $205,070 | $504,920 | $280,687 | $270,908 |
| Colorado | 160 | $416,000 | $155,590 | $520,000 | $257,034 | $249,422 |
| Maryland | Not published | $361,030 | $226,420 | $361,050 | $224,968 | $214,339 |
| Michigan | 140 | $357,090 | $171,560 | $423,380 | $226,731 | $235,646 |
| Illinois | Not published | $343,100 | $99,560 | $489,340 | $216,650 | $216,741 |
| Tennessee | Not published | $339,610 | $180,190 | $363,310 | $231,632 | $252,130 |
| Missouri | Not published | $332,630 | $161,730 | $332,630 | $212,933 | $234,464 |
| Montana | Not published | $312,840 | $95,490 | $375,190 | $199,965 | $211,279 |
| South Carolina | Not published | $311,450 | $143,840 | $377,370 | $200,222 | $213,572 |
| Pennsylvania | Not published | $311,180 | $202,170 | $443,080 | $205,556 | $210,672 |
| Maine | 60 | $301,250 | $171,120 | $323,460 | $188,069 | $193,786 |
| Washington | 290 | $290,430 | $62,940 | $435,260 | $200,254 | $187,130 |
| Arizona | 120 | $272,330 | $96,730 | $345,150 | $186,633 | $185,377 |
| Alabama | Not published | $253,670 | $193,860 | $316,370 | $171,966 | $193,606 |
| North Carolina | 160 | $224,990 | $182,170 | $398,000 | $156,009 | $165,394 |
| Ohio | 250 | $219,300 | $104,990 | $324,970 | $155,449 | $167,557 |
| Wisconsin | 90 | $212,860 | $106,040 | $313,050 | $146,115 | $155,284 |
| New York | 130 | $172,980 | $61,410 | $430,460 | $119,889 | $111,090 |
| Georgia | Not published | $159,230 | $112,750 | $219,740 | $112,903 | $117,249 |
| Indiana | Not published | At or above BLS top range | At or above BLS top range | At or above BLS top range | — | — |
| Nebraska | Not published | At or above BLS top range | At or above BLS top range | At or above BLS top range | — | — |
| Oklahoma | 30 | At or above BLS top range | At or above BLS top range | At or above BLS top range | — | — |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 29-1023. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.