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Dentistry

Types of Degrees Dentistry Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Dentistry have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	30
Doctor’s Degree	6,920

What Dentistry Majors Need to Know

Studies in Dentistry build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Dentistry graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

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

• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a Dentistry program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Judgment and Decision Making — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Dentistry graduates report doing:

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

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Dentistry professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
DSN Software Perio-Exec	Medical software	—
Practice management software PMS	Medical software	—
MOGO Dental Software MOGO	Medical software	—
DentiMax	Medical software	—
Windent OMS	Medical software	—
Henry Schein EndoVision	Medical software	—
Henry Schein DentalVision Professional	Medical software	—
Henry Schein PerioVision	Medical software	—
Kodak Dental Systems Kodak SOFTDENT Practice management software PMS	Medical software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Dentistry graduates include:

• Dental Medicine Doctor (DMD)
• Endodontist
• General Dentist
• Pediatric Dentist
• Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS)
• Periodontist
• Public Health Dentist
• Family Dentist
• Dental Surgery Doctor (DDS)
• Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD)
• Dental Officer
• Dentist
• Pediatrics Teacher
• Corrective Therapy Aide Teacher
• College Faculty Member

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	64.9%
Master’s degree	14.6%
Post-doctoral training	5.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.3%
Some college courses	5.1%
Bachelor’s degree	3.7%
Postsecondary certificate	0.8%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Dentistry?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 55.6% women and 44.4% men among Dentistry graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	3,865	55.6%
Men	3,085	44.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Dentistry graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	3,242	46.6%
Asian	1,579	22.7%
Hispanic or Latino	766	11.0%
Black or African American	374	5.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	14	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	5	0.1%
Two or More Races	231	3.3%
Race Unknown	246	3.5%
International Students	493	7.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Dentistry Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Dentistry graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$116,673
4 years	$138,423
5 years	$156,494

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $156,494 — roughly 34% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in Dentistry Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Dentistry graduates earn a median of $138,423 four years after completion — roughly 264% 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	CIP Code
Health Care Professions	51
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences	51.05
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services	51.08
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	51.09
Alternative and Complementary Medical Support Services	51.34
Alternative and Complementary Medicine and Medical Systems	51.33
Chiropractic	51.01
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions	51.10
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services	51.02
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions	51.06
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services	51.31
Energy and Biologically Based Therapies	51.37

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.