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Healthcare

Dentist

Dentists prevent, diagnose, and treat oral conditions — combining fine motor skill with patient care. Many run their own practices, blending healthcare with small-business ownership.

Median salary

$163,000

Typical range

$120k – $260k

Job outlook

+4% (about average)

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Education

Typical entry: Doctorate / professional (MD, JD, PhD)

Doctor of Dental Surgery/Medicine (DDS/DMD) plus licensure.

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Typical progression

  1. Junior Dentist

    Entry / Junior

    $120,000

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Dentist

    Established

    $163,000

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Dentist

    Senior

    $211,500

Key skills

Manual dexterityClinical judgmentPatient careBusiness acumen

A typical day

  • Examine and treat teeth
  • Perform procedures
  • Manage a practice

Fields of study

Biology · Pre-Dental · Chemistry

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Related careers

Other careers from this field of study

Mapped by field-of-study code (Biology, Pre-Dental, Chemistry), not by job-title guessing.