Also called: Oral Surgeon, OMFS
A surgeon of the mouth, jaw, and face: wisdom teeth, dental implants, broken jaws, and facial reconstruction.
Removes four impacted wisdom teeth under sedation before 9 a.m., places implants, and gets called to the ER to wire a jaw broken in a fight. Some programs include an MD degree too.
Estimate; BLS top-codes many dental specialist wages.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Professional degree (MD, JD, DVM…), about 14 years after high school. Bachelor's, 4-year dental school (DDS/DMD), then a 4-6 year hospital surgical residency (some include an MD).
Ways in: 4-year college, Professional school. Training cost: Over $150k.
Majors to look at: Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Pre-Dental.
Growing about average (about 4% over 10 years).
Low risk for 10 years. 3D scans and AI help plan implants and jaw surgery; operating on the face and mouth stays in human hands.
Classes: AP Biology, AP Chemistry, Anatomy & physiology, Physics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 29-1022.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.