Healthcare
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
Perform surgery and related procedures on the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial regions to treat diseases, injuries, or defects. May diagnose problems of the oral and maxillofacial regions. May perform surgery to improve function or appearance.
Median salary (BLS)
$352,220
10th–90th percentile (BLS)
$86k – $623k
Job outlook
+4% (faster than average)
AI exposure
Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $93,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.
Plan a path to Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
Education
Typical entry: Doctorate / professional (MD, JD, PhD)
Plan my path to this →How to qualify
EstimateLicense requiredCost to qualify
$90,200–$411,000
Time to qualify
8.2 yr
Renewal
$75/yr
- 1
Bachelor's degree
DegreeFour years at public in-state rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $11,610/yr, plus books. Private and out-of-state run higher; grant aid lowers most students' actual net price.
$40,000–$150,000 · 4 years source
- 2
Doctoral / professional degree (PhD, MD, JD…)
DegreeThree to seven years beyond the bachelor's. PhDs are often funded with a stipend; MD and JD programs are among the most expensive.
$50,000–$260,000 · 4 years source
- 3
National & state licensure
LicenseA national board/registry exam plus a state license application (the NCLEX pattern). Exact exam and fees depend on the role and state.
$200–$1,000 · 2 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source
Estimated typical U.S. route for "Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.
Typical progression
Junior Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
Entry / Junior
$86,250
~2 yrs to advance
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
Established
$352,220
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
Senior
$487,430
Key skills
A typical day
- •Administer general and local anesthetics.
- •Collaborate with other professionals, such as restorative dentists and orthodontists, to plan treatment.
- •Evaluate the position of the wisdom teeth to determine whether problems exist currently or might occur in the future.
- •Perform surgery to prepare the mouth for dental implants and to aid in the regeneration of deficient bone and gum tissues.
- •Remove impacted, damaged, and non-restorable teeth.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Healthcare
Explore all- Johns Hopkins University7% admit · $93,000 grad pay
- Harvard University4% admit · $119,000 grad pay
- University of Michigan18% admit · $87,000 grad pay
- Duke University6% admit · $105,000 grad pay
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill19% admit · $73,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.