How to hire an orthodontist

How to hire an orthodontist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step orthodontist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an orthodontist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new orthodontist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an orthodontist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the orthodontist you need to hire. Certain orthodontist roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An orthodontist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, orthodontists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of orthodontists.

   Type of Orthodontist	Description	Hourly rate
   Orthodontist	Dentists diagnose and treat problems with patients’ teeth, gums, and related parts of the mouth. They provide advice and instruction on taking care of the teeth and gums and on diet choices that affect oral health.	$58-183
   Board Certified Orthodontist	A board-certified orthodontist specializes in diagnosing and correcting different issues in teeth and jaw. They particularly design and place orthodontic devices to improve teeth and jaw alignment, such as braces and retainers... Show more	$62-171

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Diagnosis
   • OSHA
   • Ortho
   • Dental Practice
   • Treatment Planning
   • Dental Equipment
   • Front Desk
   • Scheduling Appointments
   • Dental Assistants
   • Insurance Coverage
   • Dental Instruments
   • Chair Side
   • Private Practice

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage Invisalign treatments and procedures.
   • Present financial arrangements for all patients, which result in increase revenue and accountability of services accept.
   • Demonstrate outstanding interpersonal, communication and relationship building skills, and establish trust and strong rapport with patients.
   • Deliver and cement appliances at doctor's request as well as fit and cement orthodontic bands.
   • Attend educational seminars to obtain the latest technology in orthodontics.
   • Represent CPE program at regional recruitment events.

   More orthodontist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the orthodontist job description is a good way to get more applicants. An orthodontist salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an orthodontist in Illinois may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level orthodontist. Additionally, an orthodontist with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average orthodontist salary

   $215,333yearly

   $103.53 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level orthodontist salary

   $121,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average orthodontist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$247,395	$119
   2	Wisconsin	$241,352	$116
   3	Arizona	$230,486	$111
   4	Massachusetts	$229,824	$110
   5	Indiana	$208,747	$100
   6	Oklahoma	$208,563	$100
   7	Colorado	$208,346	$100
   8	New Mexico	$200,714	$97
   9	Michigan	$198,401	$95
   10	Texas	$194,267	$93
   11	New York	$192,410	$93
   12	Virginia	$181,293	$87
   13	North Carolina	$173,376	$83

   Average orthodontist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Mayo Clinic	$260,892	$125.43	214
   2	Kool Smiles	$251,244	$120.79
   3	Arthur's Enterprises, Inc.	$250,535	$120.45
   4	Gentle Dental	$246,436	$118.48
   5	Dental Care Alliance	$245,955	$118.25	52
   6	Dental Associates	$245,493	$118.03	1
   7	Familia Dental	$244,820	$117.70	13
   8	Great Expressions Dental Centers	$244,512	$117.55	7
   9	Pacific Dental Services	$238,777	$114.80	97
   10	Western Dental	$231,475	$111.29	51
   11	Modern Dental Group	$229,230	$110.21
   12	Heartland Dental	$227,141	$109.20	13
   13	South Texas Dental	$221,347	$106.42
   14	Jefferson Dental & Orthodontics	$218,264	$104.93
   15	HealthPartners	$212,285	$102.06	84
   16	Marquee Dental Partners	$210,300	$101.11
   17	T W Co.	$210,300	$101.11
   18	Pdc	$210,300	$101.11
   19	Smile Brands	$208,425	$100.20	34
   20	Kyber Network	$208,392	$100.19	1

4. Writing an orthodontist job description

   A job description for an orthodontist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an orthodontist job description:

   Orthodontist job description example

   Orthodontist - Signing Bonus!! If you are looking for a fun and rewarding career, you have come to the right place. We offer employment opportunities that promote professional, personal, and financial growth. We work extremely hard to provide our employees with continuous professional development and a supportive work environment. Competitive wages, great benefits, and opportunities for advancement are just a few reasons why a career with us is an investment in your future; make Main Street Children's Dentistry & Orthodontics your employer of choice. Currently we have an outstanding opportunity for a full time Orthodontist to join highly successful affiliated practices in Elkton, MD. Be busy from day one with referrals from our team of Pediatric dentists. $400,000.00 annual base salary with a bonus potential! Be chair side and make money from day one Highly trained and dedicated staff to support you. No Day-to-Day headaches of Managing a Practice Excellent compensation pkg. with performance based incentives. Well-established and growing patient base All of our dental specialists at Main Street Children's Dentistry are trained to work specifically with children as young as age one and those with special needs. Our staff understands that going to the dentist can be stressful on children, which is why we take the time to clearly explain in friendly, simple language how treatments will be carried out. We ensure that each and every child receives individualized attention. Whether it is a first visit, regular check-up or an orthodontic appointment, it is our goal to make each patient leave with a smile. As a specialist you will experience the support of a highly trained team of experienced professionals. Responsibilities include: Provide Orthodontic specialized clinical care. Educate patients on jaw development and orthodontic treatment options Monitor, fit and adjust dental appliances to alter and realign position of teeth and jaw Maintain the highest standards of ethics and professionalism while providing treatment. Remain apprised of current technologies and standards of care through CE and professional development. Included: Strong patient referral system Competitive and uncapped earning potential Clinical autonomy to diagnose and treat patients Patient Care centric practice Modern facilities and equipment Established business support allowing the providers to focus on patient care Complete range of benefits for full-time employment Responsibilities 1. Diagnoses teeth and jaw or other dental-facial abnormalities.
   
   2. Plans treatment, using cephalometric, height, and weight records, dental x-rays and front and lateral dental photographs.
   
   3. Examines patient's mouth to determine position of teeth, and jaw development.
   
   4. Fits dental appliances in patients mouth to alter position and relationship of teeth and jaws and to realign teeth.
   
   5. Adjusts dental appliances periodically to produce and maintain normal function.
   
   6. Designs and fabricates appliances, such as space maintainers, retainers, and labial and lingual arch wires. Qualifications Licensed in the State of Maryland DDS/DMD from a dental education program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
   
   Certificate of completion of a residency from an accredited postgraduate Orthodontic program. #CB

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right orthodontist for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your orthodontist job on Zippia to find and attract quality orthodontist candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting orthodontists requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new orthodontist

   Once you've found the orthodontist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new orthodontist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an orthodontist?