How much does a jaw surgeon make?
a year · about $169 an hour
A typical jaw surgeon in the United States makes $352,220 a year, about $169 an hour, about 6.9× a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
They meet patients and plan procedures with other dental professionals. Then they remove wisdom teeth, place implants, or repair jaw and face injuries, and may respond to emergencies.
Did you know? Some jaw surgeons rebuild a face by moving skin, bone, nerves, and other tissue from another part of the patient’s body.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $86,250 and $622,640How do you become one?
In the U.S., after college, take the DAT, earn a DDS or DMD, then complete at least four years of hospital-based oral-surgery residency. Pass the national dental exam and state clinical assessment for a license; many finish around age 30.
School needed: Graduate degree or long training
Good for people who like figuring things out and building and doing
Why does pay differ?
In the United States, pay varies with years in practice, work hours, location, and specialty. It can also differ between private dental offices and hospitals, and the kind of surgery a surgeon focuses on can matter.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in Pennsylvania ($553,740), lowest in Illinois ($70,220).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $86,250 | $352,220 | $622,640 | about 5,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $553,740 | — |
| Minnesota | $475,250 | about 40 |
| Rhode Island | $414,060 | — |
| Virginia | $403,430 | about 210 |
| Colorado | $360,820 | — |
Official definition: Perform surgery and related procedures on the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial regions to treat diseases, injuries, or defects. May diagnose problems of the oral and maxillofacial regions. May perform surgery to improve function or appearance.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/OOH/healthcare/dentists.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/29-1022.00
- aaoms.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/path_to_oms.pdf
- www.ada.org/resources/careers/licensure
- www.aboms.org/news/how-many-years-to-become-maxillofacial-surgeon
- aaoms.org/education-meetings/academics/become-an-oms/oms-procedures
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY