Prosthodontists: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical · SOC 29-1024 · O*NET 29-1024.00
Diagnose, treat, rehabilitate, design, and fit prostheses that maintain oral function, health, and appearance for patients with clinical conditions associated with teeth, oral and maxillofacial tissues, or the jaw.
Prosthodontists fall under the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical category in the U.S. occupational classification. Prosthodontists earn a median salary of $311,180 per year, ranking in the top 1% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +5.8% job growth through 2035, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree followed by a master's or doctoral degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do prosthodontists earn?
The median annual wage for prosthodontists is $311,180. That puts prosthodontists at #11 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. Prosthodontists sit firmly in the top tier of U.S. earnings. Pay this high almost always requires extensive postgraduate education, board certification, or executive-level responsibility. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $103,510 |
| 25th percentile | $252,050 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $311,180 |
| 75th percentile | $333,480 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $344,750 |
| Median hourly wage | $149.61/hr |
Is prosthodontists a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for prosthodontists is +5.8%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 1K positions in 2024 to 1K in 2034, a net change of <1K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.
What do prosthodontists do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working prosthodontists, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Examine patients to diagnose oral health conditions and diseases.
- 2.Measure and take impressions of patients' jaws and teeth to determine the shape and size of dental prostheses, using face bows, dental articulators, recording devices, and other materials.
- 3.Collaborate with general dentists, specialists, and other health professionals to develop solutions to dental and oral health concerns.
- 4.Repair, reline, or rebase dentures.
- 5.Place veneers onto teeth to conceal defects.
- 6.Design and fabricate dental prostheses, or supervise dental technicians and laboratory bench workers who construct the devices.
- 7.Treat facial pain and jaw joint problems.
- 8.Fit prostheses to patients, making any necessary adjustments and modifications.
Top skills for prosthodontists
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become prosthodontist?
Becoming a prosthodontist typically requires a bachelor's degree followed by a master's, doctoral, or professional degree, plus state licensure or board certification depending on specialty. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents: what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
How to become prosthodontist: step by step
The typical education and licensing pathway from high school into this profession. Total time to entry is about 8-12 years. Steps marked optional are common for advancement but not required to start.
- 1
Undergraduate Preparation (Pre-Dental)
~4 yearsComplete a bachelor's degree with required pre-dental coursework. Most dental schools require specific science courses regardless of your major.
- •General Biology I & II with lab
- •General Chemistry I & II with lab
- •Organic Chemistry I & II with lab
- •Physics I & II with lab
- •Biochemistry
- •Anatomy
- •Physiology
- •Microbiology
- •English Composition
- •Mathematics (Statistics/Calculus)
- 2
Standardized Testing
Take the DAT during your junior or senior year of undergraduate studies. Most schools require DAT scores for admission.
DAT (Dental Admission Test) - 3
Dental School (DDS/DMD)
~4 yearsComplete a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree. Programs combine classroom instruction with clinical practice. INBDE replaced NBDE Parts I & II (Part I discontinued Dec 31, 2020; Part II discontinued July 31, 2022). WREB standalone exam was discontinued Dec 31, 2022, merging into CDCA-WREB-CITA which administers the ADEX exam.
- •Clinical rotations
- •Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE)
- •Regional clinical licensing exam (choose one):
- • - CDCA-WREB-CITA (administering ADEX) - Most common
- • - CRDTS (Central Regional Dental Testing Service)
- • - SRTA (Southern Regional Testing Agency)
- •Note: CRDTS and SRTA are merging effective 2026
INBDE (Integrated National Board Dental Examination)Regional clinical exam: CDCA-WREB-CITA, CRDTS, or SRTA - 4
Optional Specialization/Residency
Optional~2 yearsOptional 2-4 year residency for specializations like orthodontics, oral surgery, pediatric dentistry, or periodontology.
Licensing requirements for prosthodontists
Prosthodontists are regulated at the state level in the United States. Practicing without a current license is not legal in most jurisdictions.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about prosthodontists
What is the median salary for prosthodontists?
The median annual salary for prosthodontists is $311,180 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is prosthodontists a growing career?
BLS projects +5.8% growth for prosthodontists from 2025 through 2035, which is average growth projected to grow at roughly the US average.
What education does my child need to become prosthodontist?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree followed by a master's or doctoral degree, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to prosthodontists?
Related occupations within the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 release.