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The differences between medical doctors and dentists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a medical doctor has an average salary of $181,967, which is higher than the $147,415 average annual salary of a dentist.
The top three skills for a medical doctor include patients, patient care and internal medicine. The most important skills for a dentist are patients, diagnosis, and DDS.
| Medical Doctor | Dentist | |
| Yearly salary | $181,967 | $147,415 |
| Hourly rate | $87.48 | $70.87 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 60,642 | 8,570 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 48 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
A Medical Doctor, also known as a physician, is a healthcare professional who diagnoses and treats patients from injuries and illnesses. As a Medical Doctor, your day-to-day duties will typically include assessing a patient's symptoms, prescribing and administering treatment to patients, and providing follow-up medical care to patients. You will be responsible for interpreting patients' laboratory results and referring them to other providers when needed. Also, you will need to work closely with other healthcare professionals and promote health education.
Dentists are physicians specializing in oral health. The main responsibilities of dentists are to diagnose oral diseases and treat them with the help of different equipment and technologies. They manage to provide several services like tooth repair, cavities removal, teeth whitening, fillings, crowns, bridges, and even surgical procedures. They also help promote oral care by participating in community outreach and awareness programs. Sometimes, they would also conduct lectures and seminars for preventive education.
Medical doctors and dentists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Doctor | Dentist | |
| Average salary | $181,967 | $147,415 |
| Salary range | Between $95,000 And $347,000 | Between $99,000 And $218,000 |
| Highest paying City | Brownsville, TX | Lynn, MA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Pacific Medical Centers | The Primary Health Network |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a medical doctor and a dentist in terms of educational background:
| Medical Doctor | Dentist | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Medicine | Advanced Dentistry And Oral Sciences |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between medical doctors' and dentists' demographics:
| Medical Doctor | Dentist | |
| Average age | 48 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.9% Female, 53.1% | Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.3% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 19.0% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 3.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 22.0% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 12% |