Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for orthodontist assistants in the United States
Orthodontist assistant job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected orthodontist assistant job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028.
About 8,400 new jobs for orthodontist assistants are projected over the next decade.
Orthodontist assistant salaries have increased 4% for orthodontist assistants in the last 5 years.
There are over 18,466 orthodontist assistants currently employed in the United States.
There are 17,623 active orthodontist assistant job openings in the US.
The average orthodontist assistant salary is $114,618.
Are orthodontist assistant jobs in demand?
Orthodontist assistant job and salary trends over time
Orthodontist assistant jobs over time
Orthodontist assistant job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 18,466 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 16,956 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 19,358 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 18,395 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 18,008 | 0.01% |
Average orthodontist assistant salary over time
Orthodontist assistant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $114,618 | $55.10 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $111,169 | $53.45 | +2.2% |
| 2023 | $108,728 | $52.27 | --1.6% |
| 2022 | $110,471 | $53.11 | +0.3% |
| 2021 | $110,182 | $52.97 | +3.3% |
Orthodontist assistant jobs by state
Most common states for orthodontist assistants
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 26 | 1% |
| 2 | Alaska | 739,795 | 5 | 1% |
| 3 | California | 39,536,653 | 61 | 0% |
| 4 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 18 | 0% |
| 5 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 11 | 0% |
| 6 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 9 | 0% |
| 7 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 8 | 0% |
| 8 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 6 | 0% |
| 9 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 5 | 0% |
| 10 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 4 | 0% |
| 11 | Delaware | 961,939 | 2 | 0% |
| 12 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 2 | 0% |
| 13 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 2 | 0% |
| 14 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 2 | 0% |
| 15 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 1 | 0% |
| 16 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 1 | 0% |
| 17 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 1 | 0% |
| 18 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 0 | 0% |
| 19 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 0 | 0% |
| 20 | Vermont | 623,657 | 0 | 0% |
Most common cities for orthodontist assistants
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 1 | 0% | $137,057 |
Orthodontist Assistant job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of orthodontist assistant experts
Case Western Reserve University
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Orthodontist Assistants?
Manish Valiathan: Dentistry has been around since 7000 B.C years and is clearly one of the most resilient professions in healthcare. Given that fact, I expect the pandemic to have some impact but not a negative one. I expect a steeper trajectory in areas such as teledentistry, use of advanced and emerging technologies that will require fewer and shorter appointments for patients and providers alike, and expect a continued emphasis on preventing the spread of infectious diseases (that our profession has been on top of since the HIV crisis).
What's a day at work look like for an Orthodontist Assistant?
Manish Valiathan: In the short run, so long as the social distancing requirements are in place, all providers will work at a slightly reduced capacity. This is also an opportunity to take one's time to cultivate relationships in the office, evaluate systems and processes, with a keen eye towards opportunities for improvements.
What will help Orthodontist Assistants increase their earning potential?
Manish Valiathan: Even for the provider who is in a heavily insurance-driven operation, at the end of the day, our ability to connect with people determines our success. We are really in the "relationship" business, with both our patients and staff. In my opinion, earnings are simply a trailing metric/index, that gauges if we have done the right thing as providers.