What to Pay a Pediatric Dentist
Budget in the range of $170,950–$224,990 a year as a directional band, not a target — there's no BLS wage figure specific to pediatric dentistry. The federal government groups it with endodontics and periodontics under one occupation code, so this band is bracketed by the general-dentist median on one side and that grouped-specialist median on the other, not a precise pediatric-dentist benchmark.
Unlike a hygienist or general dentist, there's no dedicated BLS Standard Occupational Classification for pediatric dentistry, so there's no percentile table to cite here the way the general-dentist salary guide can.
What BLS does report — "Dentists, all other specialists" (SOC 29-1029), a median of $224,990 (OEWS, May 2025) — lumps pediatric dentists in with endodontists and periodontists and cannot be split back out.
See which dental specialty pays the most for the full ranking and why the grouping exists.
What moves the real number in practice: whether the hire is an associate (paid a percentage of production or collections, a daily rate, or a DSO base-plus-bonus) or an owner/partner (clinical pay plus practice profit, which a wage survey barely captures).
Pediatric dentistry's strong DSO and group-practice demand also means associate candidates are often weighing your offer against a DSO base-plus-bonus structure specifically, not just a generic market rate.
Ways to structure the pay
Percentage of production or collections
Best for: Most private and group-practice associate hires
The associate is paid a percentage — commonly in the mid-20s to mid-30s — of the production or collections they generate, rather than a flat salary.
Trade-off: Pay scales directly with the associate's own output, which rewards a productive hire but means a slow ramp-up period, or a quiet season, is felt immediately in their paycheck.
When to use: When the associate will have real control over their own schedule and case volume from early on.
Daily-rate guarantee
Best for: New hires, or practices with an uneven early schedule
A guaranteed rate per clinical day, sometimes with a production-based upside once collections clear a threshold.
Trade-off: You carry the ramp-up risk instead of the associate, which is usually the point — it's a common structure while a new hire builds a full schedule.
When to use: The first several months of an associate relationship, or any period where patient volume isn't yet predictable.
DSO base plus bonus
Best for: DSO and larger group practices competing directly for the same candidates
A fixed base salary — commonly reported in the $160,000–$200,000+ range for dentists in DSO settings — plus a bonus tied to production, typically at a lower percentage (roughly the low-to-mid 20s) than a straight production split.
Trade-off: More income predictability for the associate than a pure percentage structure, in exchange for a somewhat lower production share. This is the structure most likely to be the offer you're actually competing against, given pediatric dentistry's strong DSO demand.
When to use: When you need to match what DSO recruiters are offering in your market to win a candidate.
Directional only. BLS has no pediatric-dentistry occupation code — it groups pediatric dentists with endodontists and periodontists under "Dentists, all other specialists" (SOC 29-1029), median $224,990 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a figure that covers the whole group and cannot be split by specialty. The general-dentist median (SOC 29-1021, $170,950, same release) is the floor beneath it. Treat this as a band, not a pediatric-specific benchmark, and check current local listings.
Questions employers ask
What is the average pediatric dentist salary?
There's no BLS wage figure specific to pediatric dentistry. It's grouped with endodontics and periodontics under "Dentists, all other specialists" (SOC 29-1029), a median of $224,990 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), against a $170,950 general-dentist median in the same release. Treat that spread as a directional band — an associate's real pay depends on the comp structure, and an owner's blends clinical pay with practice profit.
Why isn't there a BLS figure specific to pediatric dentists?
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks dentistry by occupational code, and pediatric dentistry, along with endodontics and periodontics, doesn't have its own — all three fall under the grouped "Dentists, all other specialists" code (SOC 29-1029). Salary aggregators publish separate pediatric-specific estimates, but those are self-reported and diverge widely; there's no equivalent federal figure to check them against.
How does DSO demand affect what I should offer?
Pediatric dentistry has strong demand from DSO and group practices, so a candidate you're recruiting is often weighing your offer against a DSO base-plus-bonus structure specifically — commonly a base in the $160,000–$200,000+ range plus a lower-percentage production bonus. Knowing that's the real comparison point matters more than any single national salary figure.
Should I pay an associate pediatric dentist a percentage or a daily rate?
A daily-rate guarantee is common early in the relationship, while a new associate builds a full schedule; a percentage of production or collections is more common once volume is predictable, since it scales pay with the associate's own output. Some practices use one structure for an initial period and move to the other — see the comp-structure breakdown above for the trade-offs.
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