Oral surgeons
perform operations to repair injuries to the face, jaws, mouth and teeth; remove one or more teeth that are difficult to extract; and diagnose and treat other medical conditions in the teeth and jaws. Education requires an undergraduate degree, four years of medical school and four to six years of residency. However, the profession rewards the practitioner with some of the highest salaries in the job market.
Treatments
Oral surgeons specialized in local and general anesthesia makes them unique among dental professionals. This is typically applied inside the surgeon's office, making it efficient and more cost-effective for the patient. Reconstructing severely injured facial features also enables oral surgeons to perform certain cosmetic procedures on an outpatient basis. These abilities gain the surgeon a median salary of over $166,400 per year, according the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as of May 2009. Pay can dip to $101,780 for the lowest earning 10 percent. These salaries are equal to an hourly wage of over $80, or $48.91 for the lowest 10 percent.
Employers
The BLS lists three main employers for this profession: dental offices, general medical and surgical hospitals, and doctor's offices. The first, which includes the offices of oral surgeons, is both the biggest employer, with over 85 percent of the jobs, and the highest payer at $102.25 per hour or $212,680 per year. Hospitals are a distant second in terms of employment with only 370 positions, and pay at $96.17 per hour or $200,020. Doctor's offices are second in terms of pay at $98.00 per hour or $203,850 per year, but third in terms of jobs at 350 positions.
Location
New York state has the greatest concentration of oral surgeons at 0.08 surgeons per 1,000 workers. This translates to 700 jobs that pay $99.93 per hour or $207,850 per year, which is higher than the national mean. New York City is one of the top five metropolitan areas for pay at $93.84 per hour or $195,180 per year. It offers a concentration of 0.06 positions per 1,000 workers, or 330 jobs.
Outlook
The BLS predicts jobs for all doctors and surgeons growing at 22 percent form 2008 to 2018, which is faster than the national average for all jobs. This is primarily due to a growing population that demands more healthcare. This should produce an increasingly faster than average growth in salaries. Opportunities will be excellent since aside from new positions replacements are needed for the relatively large number of surgeons who will be retiring.
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