Dental Tribune U.S. Edition

“ JOBS, page A1 Dental Tribune U.S. Edition | February 2013A2 NEWS The report included Bureau of Labor Statistics figures that put the 2011 me- dian salary for dentists at $142,740. The range between higher earners and lower earners was listed as $187,999 to $74,490. Differences in geographic location and market population base, were referred to as contributing factors in salary dif- ferences. Among the best-paying cities listed for dentists were Rocky Mount, N.C., Asheville, N.C., Tyler, Texas, Abilene, Texas, and Manchester, N.H., each with annual median wages greater than $250,000. In summarizing what being a dentist entails, U.S. News reported: “Ever heard the phrase ‘Your face is your fortune’? For dentists, our smile is their fortune. They earn their living diagnosing and treating teeth and gums, performing oral sur- gery, and counseling and educating us on maintaining proper oral health.” Dental hygienist profession No. 10 To even be considered for the top-100 list, a profession first had to make the ini- tial cut based on projected growth. And the dental hygiene profession seemed especially strong in that area. The initial 100 jobs were identified based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for projected number of openings through 2020. Once that batch was isolated, additional data was analyzed to determine the ranking. Here’s how the report summed up pro- jected demand for hygienists: “Employ- ment for all dental hygienists will swell nearly 40 percent by 2020, which is fast- er than the average growth rate for most professions. In 2010, there were 181,800 hygienists, and that number should in- crease by nearly 70,000 new positions.” But it wasn’t just growth projections that got the profession of dental hy- gienist into the top 10 (and No. 6 among health-care jobs). The profession's in- come range also ranked high. “Hygien- ists make a comfortable salary, especially considering that most of those in the profession work part-time. In 2011, their median salary was $69,280. The best- paid earned $94,850, and the bottom 10 percent earned $46,020,” U.S. News re- ported. The top-10 professions in order from No. 1 through No. 10: dentist, registered nurse, pharmacist, computer systems analyst, physician, database administra- tor, software developer, physical thera- pist, web developer and dental hygienist. The complete U.S. News report can be seen at www.money.usnews.com/careers/ best-jobs/rankings. Ad 1. Dentist (Overall Score 8.4/Median Salary $142,740) 2. Registered Nurse (Overall Score 8.2/Median Salary $65,690) 3. Pharmacist (Overall Score 8.2/Median Salary $113,390) 4. Computer Systems Analyst (Overall Score 8.2/Median Salary $78,770) 5. Physician (Overall Score 8.2/Median Salary $183,170) 6. Database Administrator (Overall Score 8.0/Median Salary $75,190) 7. Software Developer (Overall Score 7.9/Median Salary $89,280) 8. Physical Therapist (Overall Score 7.9/Median Salary $78,270) 9. Web Developer (Overall Score 7.8/Median Salary $77,990) 10. Dental Hygienist (Overall Score 7.7/Median Salary $69,280) U.S. News & World Report: The 100 Best Jobs (Top 10) Photo/Gary Lewis, www.dreamstime.com