What is an Endodontist
An endodontist is someone who works with the soft pulp tissue of teeth, including the blood vessels and nerves. They specialize in cause, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases of this soft pulp tissue, engaging in practices such as crack repair, treatment of dental trauma, and root canals. They also prescribe prosthodontics, such as dentures or implants, and install them in the patients’ mouth.
Work Environment
The work environment for endodontists is usually quite similar to dentist’s offices. In some cases, the endodontist may, in fact, be located in a dentists’ office, depending on the size of the practice and the desire to work closely with others; in other cases, the endodontist may have their own practice, to which patients are referred by a dentist.
The environment itself will be clean and well-lit. While the work may not be overly stressful (compared to other medical fields), patients often have some anxiety regarding dental procedures, and the nature of endodontic treatments can exacerbate this. The endodontist will need to be able to project a good, calming perona.
Work Schedule
Endodontists typically have flexible work schedules, adapting to the needs of their patients for consultations and procedures. That being said, they will generally have a typical forty-hour work week with few (if any) emergency situations bringing overtime.
How Much Does an Endodontist Make
The average annual endodontist salary is $170,340. The mean salary is calculated by adding all the wages within the occupation and divid that value by the total number of employees. Lowest 10% of this occupation makes less than $76,790 while the top 10% makes well over $310,000.
Endodontist Salary: Quick Summary
| 2013 Mean Salary | $170,340 per year $81.90 per hour |
| Top 10% Salary | $310,000 per year $149.04 per hour |
| Bottom 10% Salary | $76,790 per year $36.92 per hour |
| Number of Jobs, 2013 | 5,160 |
Endodontist Job Outlook and Prospects
Endodontics is a specialized industry with an anticipated 16% job growth in the coming ten years. This is due in part to the expected growth of all medical industries as the population grows, as well as to the increasing need for endodontic procedures caused by improvements and developments in dental health treatments, and a growing understanding of the causes thereof. There are also widespread dietary issues contributing to problems in dental health which, until corrected, will further spur a need for endodontists.
What Affects an Endodontist’s Salary
Endodontist salary is affected by many factors, including the industry worked, the geographic location of the endodontist, and the experience that she or he has gained. Other factors, such as position and specialization, can also contribute to a lesser degree. Education, though offering minor possibilities, is not a significant factor. Overall, endodontist salary averages $170,340.
Education and Specialization
The education required to become an endodontist is similar to that of becoming a dentist, namely, receiving a degree from an accredited dental school, and holding a license in dentistry. Following the four-year dental degree, however, they must also complete two years of specialized training focusing on endodontics.
This advanced training does award some minor salary advancements as well, however they are limited to approximately $6,000 on average.
As endodontics is a field of specialization in and of itself, it is in sub-specialization that salary can be improved. The field requires continuous training, so acquiring new advanced skills is part of the job, and can lead to positive salary improvements.
Experience and Position
Experience is a primary means for endodontists’ salary gains, making a significant difference in earnings. A new endodontist may earn around $76,000, while one who has ten or more years’ experience can earn well over $200,000. This experience is, of course, coupled with the notoriety of the endodontist; being better known in the dental community, and the community at large, will lead to increased business.
Position is less of a factor for endodontists, though is dependent on the business in which they work. In a private practice, there is little room for position changes. As part of a larger practice or a hospital, however, an endodontist can see modest increases in earnings through higher positions in the hierarchy.
Industry
Industry has a significant impact on an endodontist’s salary. Working in a general medical or surgical hospital, for instance, will bring an average wage of $131,150, whereas working in a dentist’s office has the highest average at $198,300. The offices of physicians are a distant second, at $159,970.
Location
The Bureau of Labor and Statistics’ data for locational differences in endodontist salary are spotty, with many states unrepresented. However, there is enough to learn some of the highest- and lowest-paying states; Connecticut, for example, has averages of $98,280, whereas Oregon’s average is $225,010. Ohio is slightly greater at $225,850, and Tennessee tops the list at $230,260. Of these, Columbus, Ohio has the highest metropolitan area average, at $243,180.
