Dentistry
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Types of Degrees Dentistry Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many dentistry graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.
| Education Level | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Doctor’s Degree | 6,742 |
| Graduate Certificate | 28 |
What Dentistry Majors Need to Know
O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to dentistry and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.
Knowledge Areas for Dentistry Majors
According to O*NET survey takers, a major in dentistry should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:
- Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Skills for Dentistry Majors
The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to dentistry:
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Abilities for Dentistry Majors
Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a dentistry student include the following:
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
What Can You Do With a Dentistry Major?
People with a dentistry degree often go into the following careers:
| Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Dentists, General | 19.4% | $151,850 |
| Health Specialties Professors | 25.9% | $97,370 |
How Much Do Dentistry Majors Make?
Master’s Degree Starting Salary
The median starting salary of students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree in dentistry was $232,029 per year. These stats come from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $232,029 (25th percentile) and $232,029 (75th percentile).
It is possible that some of these people may have taken positions that were not related to dentistry.
Salaries According to BLS
Dentistry majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $122,320 to $175,840 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.
To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Dentistry
Some degrees associated with dentistry may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.
How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to dentistry have obtained the following education levels.
| Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) | 1.2% |
| Some College Courses | 4.2% |
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 5.2% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 5.2% |
| Master’s Degree | 18.4% |
| Doctoral Degree | 58.2% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 8.0% |
Online Dentistry Programs
In the 2020-2021 academic year, 65 schools offered some type of dentistry program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
| Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 0 | 0 |
| Certificate (1-2 years) | 0 | 0 |
| Certificate (2-4 Years) | 0 | 0 |
| Associate’s Degree | 0 | 0 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 0 | 0 |
| Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
| Master’s Degree | 0 | 0 |
| Post-Master’s | 4 | 0 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 1 | 0 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 65 | 0 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
Is a Degree in Dentistry Worth It?
The median salary for a dentistry grad is $122,320 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.
This is 207% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,648,400 after 20 years!
Top Ranking Lists for Dentistry
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Majors Related to Dentistry
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to dentistry.
References
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
- Image Credit: By Michal Jarmoluk under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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