Annual dentist income levels
Dissatisfied dentists express concerns over financial strain and looming practice shutdowns. Independent dentists, however, can still pull in decent figures, but the financial risk is not entirely on them anymore.
Individuals suffering from dental problems on a Tuesday might find themselves needing emergency care since dentists in multiple states have shut their practices, protesting against what they view as an ailing healthcare policy. These protesters complain about excessive bureaucracy and financial burdens, warning of increasing practice closures. Indeed, the number of working dentists is decreasing, as data from the German Dental Chamber and the Dental Association (KZBV) reveals. However, dentists no longer rank among the highest-paid doctors. And dentists' incomes vary widely.
Doctors, with a median salary of approximately 95,000 euros gross per year, claim the top spot among professional earners in Germany, more than doubling the national average. Dentists, on the other hand, fall around a third of that: a median salary of 63,100 euros - half make more, half make less. The German Federal Employment Agency reports a median salary of around 5,340 euros per month in full-time work, roughly equivalent. A quarter earn less than 3,650 euros, a quarter earn more than 6,750 euros.
This disparity isn't only due to regional differences. Various occupational roles, from assistants as entry-level positions to specialists like oral and maxillofacial surgeons, are also factored into the calculations. A dentist's salary is also heavily impacted by whether they are employed or self-employed, with employed dentists' earnings depending on their involvement in profits.
More and more employed dentists on the rise
Self-employed dentists can rake in substantial earnings, with an average income excess of around 203,000 euros per year according to the latest KZBV data in 2021. But aside from taxes and social security contributions, practice setup costs must also be covered. Opening or even purchasing a dental practice usually requires hundreds of thousands of euros, as explained by the job portal Medi-Career. Practice owners, on average, put in around 44 full-time weeks of work for their earnings.
The income excess shows a wide range, as 61% of dentists earned less than this amount with their pre-tax income. The median income excess was 169,000 euros. Converted into monthly terms, this amounts to around 14,000 euros. In the old federal states, the median was around 175,000 euros per year, while it was significantly lower in the new federal states at around 139,000 euros.
With approximately 45,000 dentists in private practice, as reported by professional organizations, there were nearly double the number of self-employed dentists compared to employed. However, the number of employed dentists in practices continues to grow and was last at around 24,000. They start, according to the job portal and dental staffing service Deutscher Zahnarzt Service, with an average salary of 2,500 to 3,500 Euro as assistants.
Majority of employed dentists work on a commission basis
Accordingly, 82 percent of employed dentists are reportedly working under a commission-based pay structure, increasing their earnings significantly. Without commission, dentists can earn between 3,500 and 5,600 Euro after two years of assistantship and an additional professional year. With commission, employed dentists earn around 4,600 to nearly 12,400 Euro, with an average of around 7,400 Euro, according to the portal. Employed specialists, such as those in oral-maxillofacial surgery, earn an average of around 11,800 Euro under this model.
In clinics, employed dentists reportedly earn higher wages than in practices. A survey by the Apobank in 2019/20 also showed that earnings in rural areas were, on average, better. Employed dentists earned an average annual salary of 82,000 Euro in rural areas, compared to 68,000 Euro in the city.
Over the past few decades, dentists have significantly dropped in income rankings compared to other doctors. According to the KZBV, they were among the top earners in 1980, but their income is now below the average for all doctors. Dentists now rank roughly behind chiropodists, internists, or urologists - however, still slightly above orthopedists and surgeons, and significantly above pediatricians or neurologists.
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In contrast to doctors, who earn a median salary of around 95,000 euros per year, dentists typically earn a median salary of 63,100 euros, highlighting a significant discrepancy in income within the medical field. Additionally, many dentists work on a commission-based pay structure, which can significantly increase their earnings, especially for specialists like oral and maxillofacial surgeons.
