The profession of dental surgeon is the best known in the dental sector. This oral health specialist is an essential pillar of the French health care system, and almost every citizen passes through his or her care. This important and complex role is logically accompanied by a proportional and therefore advantageous remuneration. Having covered all the general points in our dental surgeon fact sheet, we'll now look at all the aspects relevant to this specialist's remuneration.
Factors influencing dental surgeons' salaries
Although dental surgeons' salaries are generally high, they are naturally influenced by the following factors:
- Experience: dentists who have just completed their studies should not expect the same levels of remuneration as their experienced, established counterparts. This is a natural phenomenon in most (if not all) professions.
- Location: the incomesof dentists can be affected by the working environment. In densely populated areas, dentists will have a better flow of patients, but a greater number of competitors, unlike in rural or isolated areas. This is a highly contextual variable that must be borne in mind when setting up a practice.
- Status : this is the most decisive factor in determining a dentist's salary (and even beyond, for many aspects of his or her daily life). Self-employed dentists can charge higher rates than other dentists, but must assume the financial and administrative responsibilities of the premises they occupy and the staff they hire. On the other hand, a salaried employee benefits from stability and concentration of activities, but generally earns less.
- Specialization: this is slightly beyond the scope of the dental surgeon, but it's worth mentioning because it's an inherent aspect of the dental profession. A dentist who wishes to increase his or her income can embark on specialization training. Acquiring additional skills will make him or her more attractive on the job market and enable him or her to access better job offers as a dental surgeon.
- Reputation: this factor is similar to that of experience, as one often goes hand in hand with the other. Reputation, especially in the digital age, is an exponential factor in a dentist's remuneration. It enables the practitioner to attract more patients, while increasing his or her fees.
Average salaries for dentists
Before applying for one of our great dental surgeon job offers, here's a non-exhaustive overview of the average salary of French dental surgeons according to their type of practice:
- Senior dental surgeon:
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- Salaried : salary from €7000 to €17000 gross/month or from 25% to 35% of gross monthly sales.
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- Self-employed : Retrocession of between 40% and 60% of gross monthly sales.
Additional benefits and allowances
In addition to their salary, dental surgeons can benefit from a range of perks and allowances. These include health insurance, pension schemes, vacation pay and continuing education allowances. Salaried dentists can also benefit from performance bonuses and bonuses linked to productivity or patient satisfaction.
- Self-employed dentists: since these dentists manage their own structure, their income structure is different from that of salaried employees. It depends directly on the number of patients and treatments performed. While potentially higher, their income is also subject to greater fluctuation and high fixed costs, such as practice rent, equipment and staff.
- Salaried dentists: salaried dentists, working in hospitals, clinics or for dental care networks, benefit from a fixed salary, offering financial security and more regular working hours. Their salaries may be lower than those of self-employed dentists, but this is often offset by benefits and the absence of practice management costs.
International salary comparisons
Dentists' salaries vary enormously around the world. For example, a Mexican dentist will earn around €1,150, while an Indonesian dentist will earn an average of €1,500 per month. These differences, which are sometimes very large, need to be analyzed in the light of the economic and social context of each country. The cost of living, the functioning of the healthcare system and, quite simply, the level of development are all factors that need to be put into perspective, so as not to jump to hasty conclusions.
To sum up, the remuneration of dental surgeons is a much broader subject than a simple figure. While dentists are often remunerated in line with the complexity of their work and their importance to French health, they must also be aware of the many factors that influence their income. Ambitious, meticulous dentists can optimize their income throughout their career.
Did you like this article and would like to learn more? Find out more in our dental surgeon studies section.