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Dental Residency

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 60.0101 - 60.0199. These CIP codes are not valid for IPEDS reporting.

What Dental Residency Majors Need to Know

Programs in Dental Residency emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Dental Residency graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Dental Residency emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 5.0 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Dental Residency program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Dental Residency careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Finger Dexterity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Dental Residency graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.6 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.5 / 7
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public	4.5 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.4 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.1 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Dental Residency professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Henry Schein Dentrix	Medical software	—
Henry Schein Easy Dental	Medical software	—
Henry Schein DentalVision Professional	Medical software	—
Patterson Dental Supply Patterson EagleSoft	Medical software	—
Kodak Dental Systems Kodak PRACTICEWORKS Practice management software PMS	Medical software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
DSN Software Oral Surgery-Exec	Medical software	—
Accounting software	Accounting software	—
AltaPoint Data Systems AltaPoint Dental	Medical software	—
EZ 2000	Medical software	—
Dental charting software	Medical software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Dental Residency graduates include:

• Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS)
• Public Health Dentist
• Endodontist
• Pediatric Dentist
• Periodontist
• General Dentist
• Family Dentist
• Dental Officer
• Dental Surgery Doctor (DDS)
• Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD)
• Dental Medicine Doctor (DMD)
• Dentist
• Removable Prosthodontist
• Oral Maxillofacial Prosthodontist
• Prosthodontist

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Dental Residency graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	49.9%
Post-doctoral training	37.2%
Some college courses	3.1%
Master’s degree	2.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.4%
First professional degree	2.1%
Postsecondary certificate	2.0%
Bachelor’s degree	0.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

How Much Do Dental Residency Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Dental Residency graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$229,117
4 years	$192,703
5 years	$242,047

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $242,047 — roughly 6% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Dental Residency Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Dental Residency graduates earn a median of $192,703 four years after completion — roughly 407% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Professional Residency Programs	—
HEALTH PROFESSIONS RESIDENCY/FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS	—
Medical Residency Programs	—
Medical Residency Programs - General Certificates	—
Medical Residency Programs - Subspecialty Certificates	—
Nurse Practitioner Residency/Fellowship Programs	—
Physician Assistant Residency/Fellowship Programs	—
Podiatric Medicine Residency Programs	—
Veterinary Residency/Fellowship Programs	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.